Semper Furor
by Katkiller-V
Summary: With only a few years removed from the great battle, a new generation of Na'vi has arisen, led by the son of Toruk'makto Jake Sully, and they are eager to finish the battle their parents began. While divisions begin to appear amidst the Na'vi, the humans of Tartarus remain wary for any sign of aggression, and are more than ready to make the first strike, should it be called for...
1. Prologue: What the Future Holds

There is a disclaimer here.

A note to new readers, this story is a sequel to Semper Victoria, I highly recommenced reading that story first.

Special Thanks to Khaos974 for recommending this story on TvTropes!

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**Semper Furor**

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**Prologue: What the Future Holds**

**Date**: August 27th, 2174

**Location: **High Orbit, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Three massive interstellar ships hung, apparently motionless, in orbit above the small blue and green orb. Only one of them was destined to return home.

Commander Maria Thomes stood lightly in the low gravity, gazing levelly at the massive holoboard before her, eyes lingering on the icons marking the _Explorer's Hope_ and _Wings of Hermes_. Both ships, like her own _Explorer's Dream_, were quantified relics. Over four kilometers long, the elderly ships possessed not a gram of unobtanium within their massive engines, their cargo capacity was a meager two-thirds the size of the newer _Capital Star _class of vessels, and they required massive overhauls upon returning to Earth in order to ensure that their fragile superconductors would continue to function.

Eventually all six ships of the old girls would share the same fate as the _Dream_, converted to floating stations above human worlds, their engines carefully put into stasis, maintained only in case of a dire emergency.

A console beeped for her attention, breaking her mind from its idle thoughts. Glancing over, she idly brushed a short blond lock from her vision as it fell on a short text communication from the _Hermes._

_Heading home. Good luck to all who stay_. - _Wings of Hermes_

She let a small smile grace her face before closing the message, glancing at the holographic image once more as the icon marking the elder ISV began to slowly move out and away from her two sisters, its bow pointed towards Sol. A wistful sigh escaped her as she glanced out the view-port, seeing nothing but the bulk of Polyphemus looming over the curve of Pandora.

_It would have been nice to watch her engines activate._

Any further wistful thoughts vanished when the holoboard flashed with another message, and the name of the sender drew an expecting nod.

"This is _Dream_ command, go ahead _Hope _command." she activated her headset microphone with a flick of her finger.

"_Dream_, we're en route to begin orbital maneuvers. Please confirm area is clear." the voice of the _Hope_'s young captain carried into her ear. He was a good enough Captain, perhaps a hair cautious, but when you were flying something as massive, yet fragile, as their interstellar ships, that was understandable.

A brief glance at constantly updating sensor reports concerning the local debris told her everything she needed to know, "Confirmed _Hope_, area is clear, you may begin you maneuver."

"Acknowledged _Dream_, _Hope _out."

Despite the fact that the icon representing the _Explorer's Hope_ indicated that she had activated her fusion maneuvering engine, the icon itself did not shift noticeably. That did not bother her, her _Dream's _sister ship would take several orbits to make its approach to its final position over Hell's Gate. It would remain there long enough to make the final offload their supplies and refuel her deuterium tanks, before she would break orbit and move to the outer moon of Heracles, where she would copy the _Dream_, deactivating her anti-matter engines and settling into position over the sight of the future colony.

_I would not want to be him, or them, for anything. _Fingernails drummed on a nearby arm rest as she shook her head in pity, _Going to be doing nothing but taking soil samples and running tests for god knows how long. Eventually they'll have to come back here, I'll have to find something for them to do to occupy themselves._

Eventually, the plan was within half a dozen years, another human colony would be established on Heracles. That knowledge never ceased to bring a slight thrill and rush of pride upwards within her.

_Human colonization of the stars is far too long overdue. _Smiling softly, she brought up an image of the new Colony-class ISV, the massive hologram warming her to her core. Even larger than the _Dream _and her elderly sisters, the huge ships were the pinnacles of human technology, and yet even they were merely a stepping stone, an intermediate class being used until even larger, and faster, ships could be designed and built.

But for that, they needed more Unobtanium. Unobtanium for the ships. To power the space stations conducting faster-than-light research. For the massive power plants back home to power the mega-cities while the soil was cleansed of the damage from the last world war.

And of course, all that depended on the blue-skinned savages on the moon below maintaining their current isolationist policies, leaving the humans alone as the humans in turn left them alone. Yes, they had been reinforced back up to their initial levels by the four ships that had come and gone. But those troops, miners, and engineers had not been meant as replacements, they had been meant as reinforcements meant to further expand operations.

All of that meant that the expeditionary force was _still_ understaffed and vulnerable to major attacks. By now, both Tartarus and Hell's Gate should have been fully up and running as full mining operations. Instead, all they had at the old site was a skeleton group half-heartedly cleaning it up while everything was concentrated at Tartarus.

_Sully and his ilk may not be interested in fighting anymore, but their idiotic youths.._ she sighed sub-vocally, her good mood slowly vanishing. Reports from Patel had not been inspiring any thoughts of peace in her. Each time the scientist returned from one of his sojourns with the clan's matriarch it seemed that he had only more troublesome news to report. The young adults of the local clans seemed to be slowly rallying together, believing that humanity should not be allowed to remain and continue to damage their precious trees. Nor were those rumblings the only problem that she was dealing with...

_Naturally, while those idiots are war mongering, the fauna attacks are starting up again, _she grumbled mentally. It was not anything severe, not yet at least, but it was severely irksome. _Annoying enough that it inconveniences us, but not severe enough that we feel threatened to the point of launching mass-hunting raids again. _

With a sigh, she turned over command to her first officer and made her way to her personal cabin. Thankfully, someone, likely a spacer, had had the good sense to put the commander's quarters directly below the bridge, meaning she had no need to travel all the way to the ship's core to another living module. The small, dimly lit room and the solitude it provided was a comfort for her tired mind and spirit.

Slowly kicking off her boots, she settled into her hard bunk, groaning as her spine straightened, and stared blankly at the bulkhead above her.

_This is not how the Commander in Chief of the United Nations military should be acting._ A quiet voice within her mind informed her. _Weigand would not be in here,_ _over-stressing over things that cannot be changed. He would be amongst the troops, calmly directing them, making sure that every little detail was accounted for. _

_Weigand didn't suffer from Hemophobia._ She snapped back at the small voice, all the while recognizing that it was distinctly unhealthy of her to be having an argument within her own head. _And he actually wanted to be the commander here!_

Laying uncomfortably in silence, she eventually kicked herself to her feet, a small streak of self-loathing running through her at her own weakness. Taking a few moments before she opened her door, she forced her outwards appearance to return to its usual calm, ice-queen self, and headed towards the medical capsule.

Steeling herself as she approached the innocuous door, the faint scent of antiseptic drifting towards her, she blew out a small breath as she drew closer. Crushing the small impulse that longed to see her body turn the other way, away from the sight she feared awaited her, her feet kept up their careful steps until she reached the ward rooms.

A massive streak of relief ran through her body as she saw that the wounded were all tightly bandaged, none of the anxiety inducing red stains seeping through the white gauze and tape.

"Evening Commander!" one of the soldiers noted her arrival, a dark hand waving in her general direction.

A quiet, identical chorus followed and she greeted them gravely, "Good evening. I assume everyone is healing up well enough?"

"Itches like crazy." the soldier who initially greeted her complained, gesturing at the bandages covering his left leg, "But the doctor says it's healing and I should be good to head back down in a few days."

She let a small smile grace her face, to show them that she wasn't always an ice queen, "Just in time for the next game."

"Who's playing again?" a wounded miner leaned forwards eagerly, her eyes bright.

"Kozlov's 3rd Company against Theodos's air cav."

"Oooo." the single note seemed to come from several throats at once, the mining woman adding in, "That's going to be a grudge match after last month."

Thomes made small talk with the small group for a while, chatting almost inconsequentially about football, the movies that the _Hope_ had brought with, about the plans for the colony on Heracles. Basically anything that did not involve the mining or the natives.

"When does your team place next Commander?" one of the other wounded soldiers asked.

"Next week, against Werner's Austrians." she replied easily, leaning back against one of the empty beds, enjoying the feel cold metal against her hands.

The soldier frowned, "Does the mining team have the month off then?"

The wounded woman across from him flashed her white teeth, "Of course we do, everyone else it tired of us kicking your asses!"

She had to fight down a slight blush as unwelcome memories came on. Hazy, drunken memories of the party following last year's season final played snapshots through her head.

_Dammit Maria, you swore to forget that night happened!_

Shoving the memory aside, she fought down her embarrassment, instead letting a small smirk grace her face, "We almost had you last year, and we've definitely been training harder than you."

Good natured jeering and laughing followed that, along with speculation about how the playoffs would be structured this year running rampant.

After perhaps an hour, she bid them her goodbyes and get well's before heading back towards the bridge, deeply glad that she had not had to pretend her good mood through the queasiness that too often overcame her when she visited the wounded.

The small streak of self-loathing shot through her body once more, only to be mercilessly crushed again.

_I am the Commanding Officer in charge of the safety and security of humanity's future, I will not let a personal weakness threaten everything my species has ever accomplished_. She swore to herself, as she had done so often since the ascending to the position.

Returning to bridge, she settled once more into her chair, gazing darkly at the main holotable, her officers glancing at her, and visibly recognized the intent and cold expression on their Captain's face. A few gestures and quiet commands from her subordinate had them quickly and quietly engrossing themselves deeply within their work so as not to disturb her.

A slight feeling of appreciation ran through her as she distantly noticed the quiet enfolding the bridge. Her officers up here, at least, knew that she wasn't always cold and callous, despite what the rumors around base said.

She was well aware of her reputation as an ice-queen, and she admitted privately to herself that the reputation was not ill-founded. Having to work on the surface always brought to mind the stomach-churning memories of watching medics frantically working over screaming men and women, and the near carpet of bodies that the battle had created. She knew that she originally had let her intense loathing of the place and the memories take her a bit too far into the 'cold-bitch' zone of management, but oddly enough the men and women under her 'command' had seemed to accept her for it.

A memory of Selfridge and Patel talking, unaware of her listening in, flashed through her mind.

"_I don't understand why everyone seems to accept how she acts, I mean, she can be a complete bitch sometimes, especially to the new soldiers._" Selfridge had murmured.

"_Because it's a constant." _Patel had patiently explained in response, "_We're all alone out here, surrounded on a planet that very much doesn't appreciate our presence. Thomes acting the way she does is a constant that everyone can latch onto, to know that their humanity isn't fading away under the weight of the dangers. And sometimes you have to be a cool, hard leader to get people to follow you._"

She'd taken that little conversation to heart, even as she tried to overcome the stomach-churning memories.

Though she tried to be more like her natural self, a bit on the cool side, but overall more relaxed, aboard the _Dream_ with her long-serving crewmen, when she traveled to the surface, she allowed herself to fall back onto an icy persona.

_Weigand led by example, inspired his men by his courage. I can't do that, I'm not soldier. I'm lucky that I have enough self-control to not vomit or faint just visiting the wounded, much less a battlefield. All I can do is be a constant, a rock for them to know that I'll always do what I can, whatever it takes, to keep humanity going out here._

Once more reassured in herself, she began to flick through the massive pile of daily reports awaiting her.

* * *

**Date**: August 27th, 2174

**Location: **_Omaticaya Kelutral_, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Mo'at watched her grandson speak passionately to several warriors from a nearby clan, her eyes half-lidded, while Jake'sully crouched down next to her.

"_He has been getting more and more warriors to agree with him these last few months._" the _Olo'eyktan _ had a worried tone to his voice.

She glanced at the man she considered her son, "_You are his father and his Clan leader, it is your duty to stop him before he begins war once more._"

A frustrated, _tawtute_-style snarl escaped him, "_I've tried, he won't _listen_ to me, and Neytiri is not much help, if not for the fact that she knows I plan on abiding by the agreement that I made to save her, she'd be fully supporting him_."

Lowering her head, the elderly matriarch rose on aching legs. Sighing, she began to slowly make her way away from the small gathering, deeper into their _kelutral_, Jake slowly turning to follow, still talking, "_The older warriors, and those who fought in the battle four years ago... they know exactly the kind of madness that fighting the sky people on ground of their choosing is, and Peyral has been smacking around anyone trying to head over to scout out what they're up to, but it is still getting worse._"

She sighed deeply, and allowed her legs to carry her deep into the smooth caverns amongst the roots of the great tree, eventually settling into the chamber reserved for spirit hunts.

The two leaders of the tribe settled in, Jake seething but quiet in the sacrosanct location, and her own mind was at peace, quietly contemplative.

_I remember it as though it were my own child. Tsu'tey snarling and hissing in pain, the image of a pack of nantang dancing before his eyes in the spirit world. _Another sigh slowly escaped her, _Always a sign of trouble, the nantang is, as it was for my Sylwanin. Fiercely loyal, playful, even fun loving, yet far too easy to anger, far too quick to attack that which frightens them._

In her mind's eye, she could still see the weeping form of Grace, huddled over the unmoving body of her daughter. She could still remember the terrible snarls that had escaped her throat, the sting on her hand from the punch that sent the _toktor_ reeling, the pain in the other woman's eyes as Eytukan told her to leave now, before he killed her for the pain she caused them. She remembered the quiet, somber ceremony for the fallen at the _kelutral_, agreeing with her mate to forever ban the _tawtute_ from their lands.

Most of all, she remembered the extraordinary pain of that time. That pain had colored everything that the clan had done for the years that followed, and even now, she could not say for certain that that old pain did not influence her still.

"_War.. it was so terrible, first the battle at the Tree of Souls, then far worse at the home of the sky people. I do not want to bear such pain again Jake'sully. I not want to send my grandson to Eywa as I was forced to see my eldest daughter and mate depart._" the words came slowly from her lips, her spirit wrenching in pain within her at the very idea.

The _olo'eyktan_ sighed and stared forlornly at the dirt between his feet, hanging his head low. "_I saw enough war on Earth to last me a dozen lifetimes. I just want peace, to live and grow old with Neytiri, Tsu'tey, Sylwanin, Gracie. But Mo'at.."_

She felt her own head lower, tail flicking slowly in a mirror of his depression, "_No.. I do not think that we can sway your eldest child from his course either Toruk'makto. He will fight them, no matter what we say or do._"

"_He'll fight them. And he'll die._" the sob sounded as though it tore his throat.

Gently, she reached across and laid a hand on his forehead. "_The future is not set in stone, and even the Great Mother herself does not know all that may happen. Now go to my daughter, find some comfort in flight or in the hunt, let the activity wash your mind of pain. We can speak of this more later, when Neytiri is present."_

It took him a moment to control himself and stand, he nodded almost gratefully to her before leaving.

And then she was alone.

She stared at the various jars and containers of incense and spirits around her, and briefly debated the unthinkable before shaking her head and slowly rising.

_A spirit hunt is dangerous for a youth, to attempt another one at my age.. no, if I am to attempt to divine the future, it is with Eywa herself that I must speak. _

Making her way easily back up, she sought out John, appointed keeper of the machines that allowed them to speak with _toktor_ Patel.

It was not difficult to find him, he was, as usual, fiddling with one of his strange devices, humming to himself as he used it to study some tiny detail upon a flower.

A small pang of pity ran through her at the sight. Though the elders and many of the warriors remained grateful to him for healing the wounded and doing all that he could to help in the aftermath of the battle, the man was still shunned by many for his refusal to abandon his _tawtute_ ways.

He seemed to be bearing his almost exile well enough however, and smiled cheerfully as he looked up and saw her approach.

"_Honored Tsahik!" _he exclaimed, carefully setting the flower aside, "_Here to speak with Max I take it? Another question on the strangeness of the sky people perhaps?"_

A ghost of a smile graced her face. Ever since she had, more or less, learned how thestrange _tawtute_ machine worked, she had often used it to contact the _toktors_ to ask them questions about the _tawtute_ as they came to her.

Many of the other elders found it hilarious, joking that she was becoming quite eccentric in her age. A few shook their heads when they thought her gaze was elsewhere, but they accepted her thoughts on the mater. Many of the youths on the other hand... she pushed the thoughts from her mind, focusing on the here and now.

"_I wish to speak with Eywa, and wish for him to accompany me._" she explained to the former dreamwalker.

"_Ahhh_."he nodded, "_Do you want a ride or should I have him meet you there?_"

She found many _tawtute_ things fascinating, particularly tales from their home-world. The unholy machines they used to fly on the other-hand...

"_I shall meet him there in four days time._"

John's face twitched slightly, his eyes twinkling as he restrained a smile, "_But of course, I have to call him tonight anyways, I will tell him then._"

Nodding gratefully, she left the eccentric _uniltìrantokx_to his own devices and made her way to the small den favorited by Peyral and the other experienced hunters. Although the unofficial leader of the hunters and warriors was not there, several of her friends were, and Mo'at left word with them that she wished for the experienced woman to escort her then next day.

Her self-imposed plans complete for the day, she felt a small smile run across her lips as she glanced up to see her younger grandchildren laughing and racing one another across the crisscrossing branches within the tree. Letting her worries escape her, she set off to round up her grandchildren, it was time they began to learn the ancient songs, and the two young girls dearly loved to sing.

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**Date**: August 27th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

"What's the movie this week boss?" Buck asked him as the two men settled into the cafeteria to watch the week's film.

It had become a standard tradition after the _Venture Star_ arrived, to watch a film at the end of every week. Apparently a bureaucrat on Terra had grown a brain stem and realized that a bit of relaxation might occasionally be in order for the men working to save their species six light years away. To that end, hundreds of films had been stored in the ship's massive databanks, and Parker had quickly ordered that they show only one movie a week to stretch them out as much as possible. After all, who knew when they would get more.

"_Lunar Crisis_ I think." it took Parker a moment to push his facts and figures for the day out of his head and dredge up the name.

"Huh, weren't they working on that when we left?" his foremen settled back in his seat, frowning at the front of the room as the projector whirred to life.

"I think so," he replied, "Supposed to be the next huge movie, I think it was a kind of spy movie or something."

"Like the ancient James Bond films?"

He turned to Buck and blinked, "Ancient what movies?"

"You never saw those when you were growing up? Aw man, you missed out, that was some classic cinema right there." The younger man instantly launched into a full explanation about the series, apparently revolving around a British secret agent of improbable skill with both weapons and women.

Fortunately for his sanity, the movie itself began shortly, and the crowded cafeteria quieted down as everyone watched, many snacking on artificial popcorn as they did so.

_I really hope that real corn is something that they can grow on Heracles, it would be amazing to have real popcorn every Thursday for this._ His mouth salivated at the thought.

After two hours of an adrenaline fueled thrill ride with amazing special effects and reasonable acting, everyone filed out of the room, the buzz of animated chatting filling the air.

"Think they'll do a sequel? That was good stuff, even better than the old 007 movies!" Buck was exclaiming.

"Enough with the ancient movies," he chuckled, shaking his head, "They did leave it open at the end though, didn't they?"

"All movies tend do that though." his foreman pointed out. "At least the big ones."

Chatting easily, the two made their way with the crowd to their rooms, bidding one another goodnight as they headed to sleep.

Settling in comfortably, he sighed as he turned off the lights, mind too active to sleep.

It was strange, knowing that there would be far less to do the next day now that the _Hermes_ was gone. There would not be an ISV for another year, and that ship wouldn't be leaving until the year after _that, _and so they would be able to slow their pace of mining massively. He knew that most of his men would be detailed to help out the slow progress of rebuilding Hell's Gate, but even that was limited, given that it would be several years before the materials arrived to bring the old base fully online.

_Going to have to keep finding ways to keep the guys and girls busy the next few months_. He mused sleepily to himself, as darkness washed up and over him.

What felt like moments later his lights activated into their emergency setting, pale blue light bathing the room while a loud alarm began blaring from the intercom.

Blearily tumbling to his feet, it took him a moment to recognize the particular klaxon.

_That's the general alarm!_

It had been four years since he'd heard the gonging, clanging sound more suited to naval warships than to a massive installation.

Heart suddenly pounding wildly, he threw on a pair of pants, didn't bother to take his old sleeping shirt off, and hauled open his door before racing into the packed hallway. Threading his way through the racing crowd to reach the Ops-Center didn't take long, the tide easily carrying him along.

Bright, burning lights pierced his eyes through the windows as he raced into the nerve center of the base.

"What's happening?" he shouted, "Blue-skins?"

To his massive relief, the officer on duty shook his head, "No sir, thankfully. Got a massive group of Medusae though, drifting in from the north."

He swore loudly in Russian at that. _Flying jellyfish. Things give me the creeps._

"The ready group is in the air, ready to engage, awaiting the order." the communications officer reported.

Parker opened his mouth to ask how close the creatures were when he saw that one of the massive search-lights had fixed on one of them. It was enormous and entirely disturbing, long tentacles drifting lazily under it, the faint sight of over a dozen more illuminated in the night.

He saw Colonel Brian Theodas emerge into the Ops-Center, skidding to a halt as he saw the scene outside, a moment later.

The younger man gave the order instantly, "Tell the Scorpions to light those things up!" he barked, "Before they get to the perimeter!"

The communications officer shook her head, tearing her gaze away from the sight, proving that even a veteran could be phased by something. Fingers flying to the appropriate positions on her control panel, she relayed the order, "Green flight, engage, repeat, engage!"

"This is Green flight, engaging." the cool voice of the lead pilot responded, and missiles suddenly roared from overhead, the gunships somewhere above and behind the Ops-Center. The incendiary missiles struck three different Medusae, the hydrogen in their bloated bells instantly igniting, the explosions causing the creatures near them to ignite and explode as well.

_Almost like sequenced fireworks._ He mused softly as the creatures died flaming deaths.

It had been close, he realized later. The group had almost drifted within the outer kill-zone before they had been sighted. Apparently their low-flying bodies had not been picked up on their main radar, something that would need to be fixed.

"The question we need to know is, what brought them here?" he muttered softly to Theodas as the two watched the fire slowly dieing out in the empty space of the kill-zone where the creatures' remains had fallen.

The recently arrived military leader grimaced slightly, "You mean did that tree send them, or was it just the wind? Impossible to tell, either way. And that worries me."

"You're not alone there." he admitted, continuing to stare at the dying flames. Search-lights were still slowly panning the skies, searching for any more of the utterly deadly beasts, the Scorpions falling into a patrolling pattern around the base.

_Dammit. I don't want this shit to start again._ He shook his head slightly. _I've had enough of fighting God dammit. _

Turning and sighing, he nodded to the Colonel, leaving him to control the situation while he headed back to bed. He had a bad feeling that sleep was going to start becoming harder to come by once more, a far cry from what he had been hoping and even expecting after the last several quiet years.

* * *

**Date**: August 28th, 2174

**Location**: Hell's Gate, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

"Hey Max!" the lanky scientist raced into the lab room, "Tartarus was attacked last night, Medusae."

The other man blinked at Norm, "What? How many?"

He grimaced, "A dozen at least. No way to tell if Eywa sent them or if they were just drifting with the wind."

His friend shook his head, "Never good news around here lately, is it?"

"Huh?" he blinked at him.

"Mo'at wants to meet me at the Tree of Souls, she wants to speak with Eywa again and talk with me in private." Max explained, running a hand through his salt and pepper hair.

"That.. can't be good news." _That's an understatement, good job Norm, keep using that doctorate you earned._

"Yeah." the shorter man sighed, turning back to his samples.

With a sigh of his own, he settled into his chair and grimaced at the work awaiting him. Glancing through it, he shook his head. _More reports on Eywa, a request for Katrina on the bacterial solution, and a request to see if there is any chance to find more edible plants out there_.

The first was already on his list of things to do for the day, the second he forwarded to Katrina, even though he knew she had not had any breakthroughs, and it was likely that they would not even be able to test the solution until more advanced equipment arrived. The last, he responded instantly do, stating succinctly that they had already informed them of every kind of known native plant or creature that was not poisonous or toxic to humans.

_You'd think they would get the message by now._ He grumbled mentally. He'd forgotten how much of working for other people involved responding to questions that someone else had already asked.

Though he supposed that was to be expected. Thomes and Selfridge had been a bit distant with each other for the last year, though no one knew why. The most popular guess was that Thomes was still sore about losing in the championship round last year, but all they knew for certain was that it meant that the Administrator was occasionally left out of the loop and filled out duplicate requests for something that Thomes already knew.

_Bet that makes our Corporate leader happy as hell._ He thought with a smirk. He did admit that Selfridge had come a long way from his utterly money-grabbing ways, but the man could still be irritatingly and totally oblivious to anything but the bottom line at times, even though the bottom line was now material produced, rather than dollars spent or earned.

With a sigh, he settled back and began to type up his report, making sure to have it addressed to both Selfridge and Thomes. He really didn't want to do this twice.

_From: Norm Spellman, Dr._

_To: Selfridge, Admn. : Thomes, Cmdr._

_Concerning Eywa and practical measures for communication with her:_

_Unfortunately, given current technology and restraints, the odds of successfully connecting into the planet's neural network is an impossibility. Perhaps with a much larger staff and a total focus on the subject, a breakthrough could be achieved within two to three decades. _

_However, even successfully connecting our systems to the planetary network would do us no good, as it would take several more decades, if not over a century to translate the electrical signals used to convey communications through the network into binary that our computers could comprehend. Even the advanced partial-intelligence programs being developed on Terra would take decades to even begin to decipher the sequence._

_In short, without a full team of the still prototype adjutants, we have zero hope for success along this route, and even with such resources, I predict that it would be a minimum of thirty-to-forty years to see even minor results. We must continue to rely upon Tsahik Mo'at to communicate, after a fashion, with Eywa. _

_This too, is a short term solution, given her relative age and the rocky relationship with the Omaticaya clan. Given that Neytiri, mate of Jake Sully, will become the next Tsahik, and with her current opinion of human actions very poor, I can only suggest that more cordial relations be attempted with other nearby clans in the hope of finding a tribe more amicable to our goals here. The odds of this being slim to none, I fear that I must propose that we consider alternative locations on Pandora, particularly to areas where the Na'vi have had no human contact to this point, as possible alternative base locations. In particular, I recommend geological surveys on the isolated island chains north of this continent, where the Na'vi population is essential nonexistent. _

_~ End_

With a sigh, he nodded and sent the message. He knew that what he proposed at the end, packing up and moving to a different region, would not, almost could not, happen, but he felt the need to say it anyway. At least now it was in writing.

_We took an oath to try and protect all life as best we could._ _Maybe starting over, with Na'vi less prejudiced against us, that we could speak with without hate or fear, maybe that it what is really needed here._ He shook his head slightly, the image of himself speaking easily with a distant clan leader fading from his head.

_Dammit Norm, get your head back in the game. Katrina was right, you spend too much time wishing you were the hero instead of working on things that are needed right now!_ Resisting the urge to slap himself, he instead nodded and settled in more comfortably in his chair to go over Katrina's bacterial research, two minds after all, being better than one.

* * *

**Next up is Act I: Dying Dreams, Chapter 1: Nights of Discomfort**

And the stage is set for the second act.

Here is the prologue for Semper Furor, with the four main character's points of view. There'll be a few other pov sessions from various other characters (jake, neytiri, patel, peyral), similar to Victoria, but these are the main four. Expect chapters to be longer than Victoria's, and so there will probably be longer periods in between updates (4-5 days).

This fic is going to be less about epic battles than my previous work, instead focusing more on the relationships between na'vi and human, how they view the planet, each other, etc. There will still be some conflict of course, but you'll have to see how it turns out.

**As I do so often, I beg of all who read, Please Review!**


	2. Chapter 1: Nights of Discomfort

A disclaimer with the skill of a ninja lurks here

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**Act I: Dying Dreams**

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**Chapter 1: Nights of Discomfort**

**Date: **6:42 PM**, **September 1st, 2174

**Location**: Tree of Souls, Pandora, Alpha Centuari A System

The journey to the Eye of Eywa was one that humbled her every time she spoke with the Great Mother.

Emotions of thousands of beings roared through her like a great storm; the glee of _nantang_, the arrogance of _toruk_, the hunger of _palulukan_, the calm of _pa'li, _the joy of the people. She could feel all of it. And through it all, she could feel Eywa's warm embrace, gently holding her close, not allowing her to fall into the whirlpool of emotions and life that threatened to overwhelm even her controlled spirit.

Slowly, she began to search for the answers for the questions that burned within her mind, thoughts that she wished she had never thought of scalding her soul.

Reaching out for the presence of her grand-son, carefully looking for that familiar, quivering spirit amongst the multitudes of Eywa's children. As though personally intervening in her search, she could almost _feel_ the roar as thousands of connected spirits passed through the Eye before settling upon Tsu'tey, the Great Mother patiently guiding her exactly where she had wanted to go.

The spirit of her fiery grand-son was not, however, what she was precisely searching for. She focused instead upon her Great Mother herself, and what _she_ felt when she gazed upon him.

Love, of course. She loved all of her children.

Pride, of course. He was the epitome of perfection in a young Na'vi, someone all young warriors could look up to.

Satisfaction. Her heart thudded to a stop before lurching into motion once more, sadness and despair nearly overwhelming her.

_No..._

She felt the Great Mother's gaze moving on, away from her, the slightest tinge of confusion drifting through the link before the mighty goddess resumed her diligent duties in maintaining the balance of all life upon her surface.

Slowly detaching herself from the tree, she slowly made her way down to where two beings she counted as friends awaited her.

Peyral, the greatest hunter of the _Omaticaya_, and second only to Jake'sully in terms of warrior prowess, swiftly ascended the natural steps and gently aided her in moving down them.

_I did not notice how my body shakes_. She mused thoughtlessly, slowly becoming aware of the trembling in her arms and the way her body swayed on unsteady legs. Even her tail had seemingly lost all life, dragging along the ground behind her. _I must have been connected for a great span of time, though it felt like mere moments._

Max'patel waited patiently, waving for his own warrior-guards to remain at the top of the bowl sheltering the great tree.

"_What did you discover, honored Tsahik?_" he asked politely in his accented Na'vi.

She allowed her body to settle comfortably into a sitting position, Peyral copying her, her eyes carefully watching Mo'at as though she feared that she would fall over at any moment.

_I am not yet_ that _old. _She thought with a tinge of amusement, "_It.. it is as I feared_." all traces of humor vanished from her mind as she spoke, "_The Great Mother is content, even satisfied with Tsu'tey's actions and plans. It may even be possible that she is influencing him, still desiring that the sky people be removed from here._"

Peyral hissed softly, glancing almost unconsciously at the small, circular scar on her left arm, "_Madness. Even the boldest of our warriors who fought have no desire to combat those machines of war again, how does the Great Mother not see that?"_

"_Because she still aches from the pains of the digging machines of the sky people, and does not believe in their promises."_ Mo'at sighed, closing her tired eyes.

There was a long moment of silence before Max spoke, "_You did say that Tsu'tey wanted to renew the kind of hit and run war that Jake originally planned. Maybe Eywa decided that she screwed up, and that Jake had the right of it, and wants to renew combat in that manner._"

"_Stupid." _Peyral shook her head, "_I scouted out the sky people's home last week, they have many of their kunsips now, and another of the massive ones that our weapons cannot harm. They would pursue and slay any who tried to fight them that way. Perhaps if we had had the heart to do so at once after the prior battle, that may have been possible. But now?_" Another firm shake of her head, "_Only death would await any who tried._"

Mo'at snapped a soft glare at her, "_You did so, _e_ven though none are supposed to venture near that place?_"

"_What better way to prevent Tsu'tey and any of the morons who follow him from doing the same?"_ the younger woman countered, "_Best to know the best places to watch the sky people from, so that I know where they might try to._"

She acknowledged the hunter's point with a small nod, but allowed the glare linger a moment longer. Only when Peyral sheepishly bowed her head did she allow her own to droop slightly as her mind continued to slowly process the knowledge.

Max was the first to speak, some great time later. "_We are going to have to do something. If he tries to attack _Tartarus _or _Hell's Gate, _there is going to be another war, one that the people have no chance of winning."_

This drew a hiss from Peyral, _"The young fool is as stubborn as an Angtisk. He no longer heeds the wisdom of his elders, relying upon his own counsel, and the counsel of those who agree with him already. To stop him, there will be bloodshed._"

She felt a tide of both rage and fear roar through her, "_Do not speak of such things!"_

Both of her friends jumped and stared at her, startled, and she continued, "_I will not see fighting amongst my own family, my own clan! Not while I am still Tsahik."_

"Civil War." the _tawtute toktor _murmured quietly, "_All war is terrible, but the battles against family and friends are by far and away the worst, something even we sky people avoid at all costs._"

The warrior sighed and shook her head, beads clinking lightly, "_I have no desire to aim my bow at Tsu'tey, honored Tsahik, but in the end.. we must realize that that is what this may come to, if he cannot be stopped by words."_

Her mind's eye showed her an image of her grandson, an arrow embedded within his heart, face a snarl of rage, her daughter weeping, throwing aside her bow. A grim Peyral leading the elder warriors against their youthful kin, their own friends, brother slaying sister, and friend slaying friend.

_Never._ She swore to herself, _Never shall I let it come to that. But how to stop it?_ _How do we convince those who will not be convinced?_

The silence between the three deepened once more, all bearing frowns across their faces. Eventually, Max rose.

"_I have to head back, there is an early meeting of the leaders of the sky people tomorrow and I have to attend. Have John contact me if you think of something that I can help with. May Eywa watch over your passage home."_

The two Na'vi women gave their own traditional goodbyes, watching him ascend to the waiting machine, its strange 'engines' roaring into motion even as he climbed into its metal embrace.

Waiting until the flying machine was out of sight, Mo'at rose and began to make her way to the _Pa'li _patiently awaiting their return.

Mounting was not as easy as it would have been several years ago. Still, making the bond and beginning the slow ride back to the _kelutral _was simple enough, the simple calm of her mount doing much to ease her mind. Peyral followed on her own mount beside her, bow handing loosely from one of her hands.

She smiled slightly at the sight. Peyral had been taking her duties as Jake's 'second' very seriously ever since Neytiri had been wounded, supplanting the other woman in the hunting teams. She also took her duty as Mo'at's 'guard' seriously when she called upon her to do so. Then again, after losing her mate in the great battle four years prior, there was precious little that she did not take seriously.

"_The odds of any animal hunting us so near the great tree is small, my young friend." _she smiled wider as the younger woman looked slightly abashed.

"_Apologies, Tsahik. I am merely on edge after our conversation.._" she let her voice drift off.

_There is more to it than that. _"_And what else troubles you?_"

Pey'ral seemed to hesitate, "_Max'patel asked me to not tell you, as he feared that it would worry you._"

"_You have already caused me some worry by saying so, what is some more?_"

"_I apologize Tsahik."_ Another hesitation.

Part of her felt sorry for the middle-aged warrior. She was a being of action, of motion. She did not like being put on the spot in conversation outside of her expertise. And without Unil to prod her into speaking her mind...

"_He.. he mentioned that a group of Lonataya approached the sky people's home several days ago, and that they were slain just before they drifted over their homes themselves. He fears that it was more than the wind that carried them so far south._" The words seemed to tumble out of her, as if she feared that she would not be able to continue if she stopped.

"_Grim news indeed."_ She sighed, beads clinking as she shook her head sadly., "_But it is merely more atop the pile that already lies upon my shoulders. It may be that Eywa sent them, or perhaps it merely was the wind. I fear that we shall know the truth all too soon."_

"_You believe that nantang and palulkan will strike at the sky people once more?_" Peyral asked, a slight tone of worry in her voice.

"_If the Lonataya were sent by the Great Mother, and if she does indeed send Tsu'tey dreams of inspiration, then they may once more prowl." _

The warrior sighed as their _Pa'li_ began to navigate the long slope down from the great mountain, slowly heading for the jungle at its base.

"_Perhaps you should attend a meeting with the leader of the sky people? Warn her of what may be happening?"_ Pey'ral suggested eventually.

"_No.. Max'patel will speak with her and carry warnings of his own, there is no... no..._" she frowned slowly, mind beginning to move faster. "_How did I not see it? There may yet be something that can be used to dissuade the youths in our clan._"

The ears of her younger companion perked upwards slightly, though she patiently remained silent.

"_Pey'ral, when we return, I must speak with the Olo'eyktan. If he agrees with me, and I do believe that my daughter's mate shall, we will be in need of your warriors with the swiftest ikran. One tsahik may not convince Tsu'tey, but perhaps the wisdom of many might dissuade his followers."_

"_You mean to call a meeting, of all nearby Tsahik?_" Pey'ral sounded stunned. There were, of course, great meetings of many clans, though they were focused upon trade and friendly competition. To have a meeting of the _tsahik_ alone was nearly unheard of, it appeared in the ancient songs only once: Just before the first time of great sorrow, before the first _Toruk'makto_.

"_I do._" she nodded slowly, plans slowly forming with her mind.

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**Date**: 8:12 PM, September 2nd, 2170

**Location**: Hell's Gate, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

"So, yet more bad news huh?" Norm asked with a sigh.

Max's voice came over the radio in response, "_Yeah. Looks like Eywa is definitely encouraging Tsu'tey, probably the other young warriors as well_."

"If she's doing it with them, she's probably doing it all over the place." His mind continued along the unhappy trail of thoughts, not liking at all where he was ending up.

_So much for the idea of talking with other clans._

"_We don't know that for sure_," Max's voice betrayed the fact that he seemed just as sure of that as he did, "_We might still get somewhere talking with some of the other clans_."

"Assuming Thomes approves." he pointed out, his spirits already sinking.

_Didn't we have enough fighting already?_

Apparently Eywa and Tsu'tey hadn't. The latter he could excuse, sort of. The kid hadn't ever actually fought before, and probably didn't fully realize just how horrible it was. After all, like Jake had told him before they had gone to fight Quaritch, '_It's one thing to hear about a battle Norm, it's another thing to actually fight in one_.'

But the former.. how could Eywa be failing to see what would happen if combat broke out again?

"_I'll see you when I get back, should be just a few hours._" Max signed off, voice breaking him from his thoughts.

Nodding to himself, he turned off the radio, stood, and began to pace. Back and forth across the lab, his mind whirling as he thought.

_Thomes will probably approve the attempt to talk with other clans, she's not eager for a second round of open combat. Max will be the one sent to talk with them, probably with Katrina, the three of us are the only ones who speak Na'vi here, and he's the head of the 'Department'. _He paused in the center of the room, frowning. _There has to be something that I can do to help. _

He had not been of much use to his friends and allies before. He had fought in the first battle, all those years ago, and gotten his Avatar killed doing it. Then he had become nearly catatonic for a year after watching several of his friends die to various local creatures, both large and small. Some of it.. had been fairly horrific. Then he had been of little use to everyone when humanity had returned, only his mediocre skills as a healer coming into play at the end, when everything was finished.

"I'm sick of being the useless geek in the corner, only able to off advice and patch up everyone's wounds_._" he muttered, nervously glancing around to make sure there was not anyone around to hear him talking to himself.

_Smooth Norm, real smooth. Great start. _He scowled at himself, resuming his pacing.

He tried to work his mind around the problem. The piece of paper that labeled him a Doctor of Xenobiology, with hundreds of hours of prep time before he had even been allowed to leave Earth, had to be good for something.

_Well, if both Max and Katrina are gone, you're the only left who speaks Na'vi, which means that if something comes up with the Omaticaya, you'll be the one sent to help. Maybe some of the elders have ideas about what we can do?_

It wasn't much of a plan, he knew. Relying upon others to have the idea and then help them out was not exactly what he had been hoping for, but he couldn't think of anything else that he could realistically do at the moment.

With a sigh he flicked the room's lights off, headed into the hallway, and began to make his way to the former link-chamber turned bunk-room.

They had ended up turning the link beds into actual beds, making sure that all of the equipment was offline and locking them in their exterior position, as well as adding a few creature comforts inside the pods. It still was not exactly as good as a real bed, but since the dormitories were still totally overgrown, it was their only real option besides the cold floor.

Most of the other members of the 'Science Department' were there, already getting ready to sleep.

He snorted a bit at that. He, Max, and Katrina were the only real scientists, everyone else were volunteers, chosen because of their intelligence or desire to study. And of the three, Katrina spent at least half of her time with her Samson as a pilot, leaving her as a part-timer at best. None of the others had any actual lab experience, outside of half-forgotten schooling back on Earth, and it was always a challenge to make sure that their good-intentioned efforts didn't break something or set a project back.

"All right kids, everyone get to sleep, we need to be up early to check over the farm." _Good God, did I just say that? I sounded like Grace!_

To his continuing amusement, everyone quickly began to bid each other goodnight, close the screens around their 'beds', and change for bed.

_So weird._ The idea that people would be treating _him_ of all people as their boss was something that he doubted he would ever get used to.

Shaking his head, he headed to his own small 'room' and closed the screen behind him, quickly changing into the loose clothes that made sleeping in the link-bed much more tolerable.

Yawning, he set his alarm for the early morning, opened his link-bed, and crawled in, the form-fitting foam easily accommodating his body.

_And the vampire retreats to his coffin._ He laughed quietly to himself as he closed the top of the lid, making sure that his pillow was secure and that the blanket was all the way in. With another yawn, he closed his eyes and settled into sleep, half-made plans about the future waiting until the morning to be brought once more to the forefront of his mind.

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**Date**: 7:19 AM, September 3rd, 2170

**Location**: Mining Site 02, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

"Jesus Christ." Parker stared at the corpses.

The inky-black skin of the viper wolves was coated in their dark blood, the bright pink of organs visible through the gaping holes that the heavy-weight AMP cannon had blown through their flesh. There must have been a dozen of them, blood seeping into a wide pool around the bodies of the pack. The stench of it was horrendous, and the faint odor of death was something that he had forlornly wished to never smell again.

"When did they try to get in?" he turned to his companion, the _Hauptmann _frowning at the bodies, his AMP suit immobile behind him.

"Just this morning, around dawn." Wolfgang Prochnow murmured, glancing back at the road. "They must have slipped in along the road, made their way along the road towards the mine. Avoided the perimeter defenses. _Schweine_."

"We were lucky." Kozlov rumbled, glancing aside as his own security teams carefully made sure that all of the creatures were indeed, dead. "Had you not decided to come early to meet with me, they would have slipped in without our notice. Four years of peace has made us complacent."

He really wanted to hold his face in his hand, but the bulky exopack prevented it. He settled for muttering again, "Jesus Christ."

The three men watched the Third Company veterans perform their grizzly task, Parker occasionally glancing at the road leading away from the mining site.

"We are going to have to resume full patrols along the road." Kozlov rumbled finally.

"_Wirklich?_" the Austrian snapped sarcastically, "With what men, _mein freund?_"

He grimaced. Prochnow and Kozlov had not gotten along since they had met, and neither did their men. The, comparatively, green men of the new Second Company resented the arrogant attitude held by Kozlov and his veterans, and had wasted no time in locking horns with them whenever possible. In turn, the Russians disliked the fact that Thomes kept them in position at the defenses around Site 02, letting the Austrians man the defenses around Site 01. They had wanted to defend the closer site, where their comrades had died, but Thomes had shot them down, saying she wanted their best fighters stationed where they were needed most: at the more vulnerable site. That, of course, stroked the Russian's egos while inciting Prochnow, and thus, the war of sarcasm and insults continued and escalated, to the point where the football matches between the two companies was more akin to war than it was to sports. The last time they had played, a dozen players had ended up in the hospital after a brawl had broken out near halftime.

Hastening to intervene even as Kozlov's broad face darkened with anger, he spoke quickly, "I'll talk to the Colonel when I get back. He and I will go over it with Thomes, but I would guess that it would be his airborne that get the job."

Like a pair of rabid dogs, the two soldiers nodded and backed down, eying each other warily.

He sighed, _Theodas really needs to pound some sense into them._ He knew it was on the recently arrived Colonel's list of things to do, but he doubted it would happen, not with this apparent escalation.

"I've got to head back, just for today though, Prochnow, mind running your AMP suits as escorts for the trucks? Form them up in convoys to save yourself some manpower." he both asked and advised. While Thomes might be the overall commander, and Theodas the ranking military officer, when it came to the safety of the mining operations both tended to defer to him and Kozlov.

The Austrian _Hauptmann_ grunted and nodded in acquiescence.

Slightly relieved, Parker made his way back to the Samson that had flown him to the site. Clambering in, he waved to the pilot to let him know to take off.

Settling in as the helicopter rose from the ground, he shook his head and muttered some more as he glanced at the soldiers even now moving the animal's corpses out of the way.

_This shit again. Have to ask Patel about how long it takes the local critters to reproduce and grow, see if this pack just moved in or if it's the next generation. _He shuddered as another thought hit him, _Hell, we are lucky that it was only viper-wolves, if it had been a Thanator, one AMP suit alone has a hard time trying to take one of those creatures, it might have killed Prochnow and run rampant in the mine site!_

He let out another groan and gently banged his head against the bulkhead, trying to ignore the slowly developing migraine.

By the time they landed on the uplifted platform at Tartarus, the pain in his skull was in full swing, and he muttered some choice epithets under his breath as he made his way into the Ops-Center. It took him a minute to realize that the curses had been mixed English, German, and Russian. Snorting at himself, he made his way to his office. _I may not be able to speak them, but four years with soldiers and I can damn well curse in them._

Wasting no time, he settled into his desk and brought up his mail screen, firing a request off to Theodas to meet with him, and another, longer one, to Thomes telling her what had happened.

He had barely had time to glance outside and debate getting breakfast, his stomach churning a bit at the thought of food, before his computer chimed with an incoming message.

Blinking, he opened it. It was from Theodas, the Colonel simply stating that he was on his way immediately.

Closing the window, he frowned as it immediately chimed once more.

This one was from Thomes, requesting that he set up a call-conference in his office as soon as Theodas arrived.

_Well, at least she isn't here in person._ He mused to himself as he established the link to the _Dream_. It had been quite a while since the awkward, hung-over morning, but he still had a hard time seeing her without remembering how warm her body had been next to his.

_Of course, it would be nicer if she didn't cut every conversation short and stopped leaving me out of the loop_. His mind grumbled. That was both irritating and comforting. He hated being cut-off and left out of the information loop, _he was the Administrator of the base for Christ's sake_!, but it was strangely comforting to know that she seemed to feel as awkward around him as he did around her.

The American Colonel strode rapidly through the Ops-Center a few minutes later, making sure to lock the door and darken the windows as he entered Parker's office. He nodded a slight thanks at that little nicety.

"Morning Administrator, shame that it isn't a good one." Brian Theodas spoke easily. A young man for his rank, he couldn't have been much more different from the late _Oberst _Weigand had he tried. Weigand had always had an air of authority around him, the quintessential 'old-man' of the base, and had always done his best to live up to that image, comporting himself with dignity.

Theodas, on the other hand, was more of a hands-on leader, his management style more akin to Miles Quaritch's. He led from the front, personally extorting his men to dare to be better than him, working his ass off to hold every on-base military record that he could. While his air men and women adored him for those traits, and he had the respect of the both the German and Austrian companies, the more reserved and battered Russians seemed to merely tolerate him. And the pitifully small group that was all that was left from their combat engineers typically ignored him entirely.

"You can say that. Viper Wolf attack, a smart one too." he finished establishing a link to the _Dream_ before launching into a report on what had happened.

Thomes waited until he was finished before her voice carried over the speakers, "This is extremely troubling. It could be a prelude to increased attacks on our mining sites, and Dr. Patel just finished informing me that it is possible that the native's goddess is behind the increased level of militarism in their youths."

The Colonel grunted at that. Like most of the men and women who had not been involved in the chaos that was the battle, he had a hard time accepting that 'Eywa' was actually a physical being, capable of controlling nearly all life upon the world. After all, they hadn't personally witnessed the insane fanaticism with which both the animals and the natives had hurled themselves into gunfire.

"I asked Prochnow to have his AMPs patrol the roads for today, and for him to convoy the trucks." he informed the two of them.

"Good move," Theodas nodded, "That should work until we come up with something better. We don't really have the troops for full-on patrolling though, not with our current deployments."

"You'll have to use your First Company." Thomes replied after taking a moment, "I want two Scorpions with four Samsons on patrol during the daylight."

"That's a third of my reserve force," the Colonel warned, "I could cut back on the patrols between here and Hell's Gate and provide double that number while keeping our reserves solid."

"No." her tone was absolute, "The Fourth Company can't guard both Hell's Gate and its mining site alone, we'll simply have to live with a minimized reserve force."

Theodas considered that for a brief moment before nodding, "Yes ma'am, I'll brief my people and get the first patrol up by noon."

"Two native attacks in less than a week." he muttered, shaking his head. "If it's all right with you Maria, I'm going to run my people through defensive drills again."

"Do it. Theodas, make sure that all of your people are training up to standard as well, make that doubly sure for Kozlov and Werner, their companies are the most isolated." Their commander commanded, "I will return to the surface tomorrow, we'll hold a full meeting of the senior staff at thirteen-hundred to go over our plans."

She cut the link, and the two men swiftly got to work.

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**Next up is Chapter 2: Wars of Words**

**I continue to beg thee, as a humble author, please review!**

**Review Responses:**

Paranoidschizo91: they're kind of like a floating jelly-fish, freaking huge, and deadly as hell. They let their tentacles drift under them, sting whatever they connect with, then drag it up to their mouths. The sting itself is lethal to humans.


	3. Chapter 2: Wars of Words

Disclaimers are overrated.

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**Chapter 2: Wars of Words**

**Date**: 12:57 PM, September 4th, 2170

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

The conference room was far more crowded than it typically was, at least, that is what it looked like to her. Then again, the year where she, Parker, and Nikolai had been the only 'senior staff' present had left its mark, and it had originally been strange including the arriving officers into the group.

_On top of that old nostalgia, I haven't called a full meeting of the senior staff since Theodas arrived on the Venture Star._

_Hauptmann_s Prochnow and Werner were quietly chatting in German, the latter gesturing slightly at his tablet as they did so. Kozlov looked as though we was attempting to ignore his Austrian and German counterparts, instead listening intently to what Parker was telling Buck Kepler, his mining foreman. The latter was a rare include, but as Parker's second he did deserve to be in on this one. Colonel Theodas, for his own part, was unusually silent, brow furrowed lightly in concentration as he mused upon his own thoughts. Patel was the last to arrive, nodding briskly to everyone else as he arrived to take his seat.

She let the quiet discussion continue for another moment before pressing a button on the table before her, the door to the room shutting and locking, the lights dimming lightly.

Silence fell instantly, her subordinates settling into their chairs, seven pairs of eyes turning to her.

"Good afternoon. You all know that I do not like calling meetings such as these, but we seem to be in deed of plans for our future on this planet." she began, rising from her chair, palms laid flat on the table's surface. "According to Dr. Patel, the blue-skins are currently suffering from, what is for them, significant internal strife. The members of their youth are agitating for war, and their elders are apparently against it. To make things worse, apparently this goddess of theirs is supporting the war-hawks."

Kozlov spat a quiet oath in Russian, following it with, "Then the animal attacks we have seen so far are merely the beginning."

"Unfortunately probable." Patel murmured quietly, a hand running through hair that was becoming more gray than black, "I'd would be more surprised if it wasn't."

"If the attacks continue to rise, our forces will be stretched even further than they are now." she continued, nodding to both of them in turn, "With the lithography plant landed, ammunition is no longer a major concern, however, protection of the mines that harvest the materials to _make_ the ammunition is. Mining Site One and its subsidiaries must become our primary focus of defense, rather than the unobtanium mines."

Parker leaned forwards, his slender face drawn into a frown while fingers rapped on the table, "Since we have quite a while until the next shipment of unobtanium is needed, I can transfer the bulk of our mining gear to that site, we can probably double our ammunition production within a month. The only thing we can't move is the main excavator, it's stuck at Site Two, but by itself it will still be able to produce more ore than we actually need to fill up the next ISV."

"That is all well and good, but what is also important is what we are going to do about this challenge to our presence here." Theodas interjected, the Colonel glancing at her, "If the native wildlife continues to attack, we must respond."

"Respond how?" Patel frowned, "More defenses? Start another mass-hunt? Anything we do to try and stop the attacks will give Tsu'tey something more to convince the others against us."

She broke in before Theodas could respond, "For the moment, the former will be our primary plan."

The _Hauptmann _commanding the Fourth Company nodded slightly, speaking in his thick accent, "We've already position all of our auto-turrets, but we can increase the fencing system around the bases, position minefields, and increase our bunker systems. Perhaps even produce more auto-turrets?"

"Yes to the first and last two, no to the second. The UN ban on mines is still in affect." Irritation ran through her, remembering all too well the strict orders against violating that particular decree, as well as several others. "I was told any officers here who violated the UN rules of war should expect a court-martial immediately."

"We're a long way from Terra." Theodas murmured quietly.

"No. And no means no." she glared at him, "Long way from home or not, we're members of the United Nations security force, and we _will_ follow its laws, and I _will_ personally execute anyone who even _thinks_ about it."

The room fell silent, everyone glancing at each other. _And the ice-queen returns_. She could almost hear the thought she knew was flickering through everyone's minds.

She settled back into her chair and steepled her hands, "We will continue to expand the razor wire defenses around the roads and bases, as well as increasing patrols. If things continue to escalate, I will authorize another round of over-hunting, concentrating on the predator species."

"The Na'vi will not like that." the good Doctor warned.

"They don't like anything we do." Parker shot back.

Patel grimaced but nodded slightly.

Their Austrian Captain cleared his throat, drawing attention, "It is my understanding that the attacks by fauna, while they have the potential to cause problems, are not the main focus of this meeting. Rather, the blue-skins themselves are the problem."

She gave their most junior captain a slight nod, "Precisely _Hauptmann_. We must decide now what are combat plans will be assuming another round of native assaults, either guerrilla actions or open combat."

"We can rule out the latter." Patel said, his voice certain, "They don't have the numbers for that, not yet. I don't even think the wildlife is back to its pre-battle numbers, they don't reproduce _that _fast. I think that it is far more likely that Eywa is encouraging a general migration to this region."

"Then a guerrilla campaign is what we would most likely face." Theodas nodded, resting his chin upon a fist. "The best way to stop such a campaign would be to eliminate any safe-havens they have to strike from, destroy their home-trees."

The cacophony began immediately, Patel shouting his opposition to the plan while Prochnow leaped to the Colonel's defense. Werner and Kozlov soon joined in, their own voices making the already hard-to-follow sound completely unintelligible.

She sighed and leaned back in her chair, noting Parker giving her an exasperated look as he covered his ears with his hands.

_So like children they are._ She shook her head as the argument raged on. Letting it continue seemed the best course of action, let the males blow out their testosterone.

Idly, she raised a hand and grimaced before carefully pushing another button on her console. An electronic shriek, like the death cry of a thousand machines, bellowed from the speakers, and everyone went instantly silent, slamming their hands onto their ears and groaning in pain.

Trying not to show how much the noise had hurt her own ears, she gestured placidly at the chairs. Everyone else slowly returned to their seats, wincing and touching their ears gently.

"I am not ruling out preemptive strikes, but I do not believe the time has yet come for that." she spoke mildly into the still stunned silence.

"And.. when will the time come to that?" Patel manged, glancing at her and rubbing his left ear lightly.

"When standard counter-attacks no longer work?" Theodas guessed, "When we can no longer eliminate them after they strike?"

"Or if the attack shows signs of being far more serious than we feared, or if our casualties become too severe. Our primary duty is to our people, I will not sit idly by as our men and women are killed." she confirmed, nodding, blonde hair spilling idly over her face. Irritated, she brushed it away and continued, "Theodas, I want the Dragon removed from patrol duty and assigned to the reserves. If there is a native raid, I want you to demolish the idiots _utterly._"

The Colonel nodded, marking several notes down into his pad.

Parker spoke quietly, "If Sully sticks to his word, he won't help them, the odds of them recognizing that we're pulling back our mining gear to Site One might slip their notice, especially with the main excavator running at Two."

"You offer your men as bait Administrator?" Prochnow made a shrewd guess at the Administrator's intention, eyebrows raised.

"I'll make sure that only volunteers work there." the shorter man confirmed, "Is it not better to know where they will strike?"

Everyone else grimaced, including herself.

"That is true.." Kozlov murmured quietly, "I will speak with my men, though I do not doubt that they will remain."

Maria Thomes let out a quiet sigh. _Put more than a hundred men and women, a full seventh of our personnel, including the majority of our veteran troops, deliberately into harms way, as bait for an attack we're not even sure is coming. I don't like it, not at all... but we lack the manpower to massively increase our patrols, we're stretched thin defending Tartarus, Hell's Gate, and all three mining sites. Beyond abandoning Hell's Gate, Mine Site Three, and pulling the Fourth Company back to give us an actual reserve force, which is something that we cannot do, our only choices are to go with Parker's plan, or launch a pre-emptive assault. The latter has history going against it, and would cost us Patel's support, in addition to driving Sully and his veterans against us._

Another sigh. "I do not like it, but we'll run with it, for now." She glanced at Parker, "Make sure your volunteers are your best trained men Parker. Kozlov, I want your people armed with our best. Wasp pistols and what few M-61 Gauss rifles we have. Make sure you are overstocked on ammunition as well."

Werner spoke quietly, "I do not wish to make light of the peril faced by the Third Company, but what of my Fourth? We will be equally vulnerable, cut off as we are at Hell's Gate. We are also closer to the enemy than Tartarus is."

"I can transfer one of our Samson squadrons there," Theodas offered, looking up from his tablet, "They can continue patrolling from there, and that will free up more Scorpions for our reprisal force as well as doubling your air cover. And I think that it is more likely that they will strike at Tartarus and the mining sites around us, the site of their previous loss."

"And what am I to do?" Patel asked quietly, "Besides once more try to stop a war?"

"If they don't attack us, we won't have to fight." she stated simply, spreading her hands apart, "Work with that matriarch and Sully, see if you can find someway to corral those idiots before they force us to act. Hell, talk with Spellman about his idea for talking with other clans, see if you get anywhere with that."

_I don't want to see more blood and death. Not again. But if the options are yet another battle, or obliterating them in one stroke... it is no choice at all._

She slowly rose from her chair, placing her hands once more upon the table, ignoring the soft pull of nausea from the memories of the battle, "Get to work everyone, who knows when the blue-skins political situation will explode."

Idly unlocking the door, she breezed out of the room, ignoring Parker's efforts to catch her attention.

* * *

**Date**: 8:42 AM, September 5th, 2170

**Location**: _Omaticaya Kelutral_, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

"I can't tell you much Jake," Max Patel grimaced, walking alongside his friend, "And what I can tell you isn't good news."

The _Olo'eyktan _and former Avatar sighed, glancing at the tribe members bustling around them; hunters preparing for their daily tracking, weavers preparing to spin and create, singers smiling at the children they would soon be teaching.

"Tell me something I didn't already guess." his friend sighed, shaking his head, "Hit me."

"They're paranoid as hell about another fight at the moment. They're prepping for serious action if they need to fight, starting up training for the mining teams again, doubling ammunition production, the works."

Jake grunted lightly, "Not unsurprising. Bet they're stepping up patrols as well."

"Yeah, they're going to full air patrols between the bases, and keeping the Dragon at Tartarus at all times so it can respond to any attack against any location."

A long groan from his taller companion, "A Dragon. Great. That hybrid scrapheap they used last time was bad enough, but an actual heavy gunship... it'll clear acres of forest in seconds. Any group trying to raid them like I tried before will be chased down and obliterated long before they ever get back to the _kelutral_."

"That's.. pretty much the plan," Max sighed, "Thomes and Theodas want to respond with overwhelming firepower to any attack. They've also portioned out those new guns the _Hermes_ brought."

"Gauss weapons. Rail guns." Jake spat an oath in Na'vi that Max had never heard before, "Talk about overkill. At least they're a pain to maintain here."

"That is true." he agreed, "The soldiers are always bitching about it, as much as they love the firepower, they aren't fans of constantly recalibrating them. Apparently one nearly tore itself apart in test firing last week."

Another grunt from Jake, "Any other news? Preferably better news?"

"Only good news I can give you is that Thomes doesn't intend to break any of the UN rules of war. No mines, no mass-drivers in orbit, no poison gas." he grimaced at the last. A lot of poison gas wasn't actually that hard to make, and he _knew_ that at least some of the senior military officers had considered making primitive gas weapons as an extreme deterrent.

_God.. the number of people that would kill...the number of people it would cripple.. _he didn't even want to think about it. The horrible thing about gas wasn't the people it killed; it was the people it maimed. And the Na'vi... hell, what would they, _could_ they do if they were bombarded with something like chlorine gas?

Suffer.

He decided to change the subject, "How are things with the family?"

_Great change of subject Max!_ His mind screamed at him, and he instantly regretted the words as a flicker of pain shot across Jake's face.

His friend blew out a long sigh, strode quickly towards the edge of the clearing around the _kelutral_, and settled down next to a tree, forcing Max to move swiftly to keep up. Jake didn't say anything as he walked, and then remained silent after he sat.

Wincing slightly, he settled down on the root next to him, and waited.

"I don't know man." his tall blue friend said finally. "Up and down, every week. When we're just relaxing, as a family, or it's me and Tsu'tey hunting together, everything is great. It's... it's when the talking and discussion starts that everything falls apart. The girls don't know, thank Eywa's mercy, they're too young to really realize what's going on."

Jake sighed and arched back, gazing blankly into the sky, Max wincing slightly as he continued, "Neytiri thinks that Tsu'tey has the right of it, even though she's never actually said it. I can feel it whenever we bond. She respects that I gave my word to Thomes and Selfridge, but she doesn't think I should be stopping Tsu'tey. To her, the _tawtute_ will always be the ones who killed her sister, killed her father, killed Grace, destroyed her home."

"She's still holding that over them?" he gave his own quiet sigh.

"It's not as bad as it used to be," Jake admitted freely, "She understands that fighting means dying, but.."

"She thinks the price is worth it if the humans are driven off?" he guessed.

"Pretty much."

"Dammit." he muttered, shaking his head. The two sat in companionable silence for a while, simply watching the early morning work of the tribe. A group of the younger hunters, led by Peyral, mounted _pa'li_ and called out their goodbyes amongst a chorus of prayers for a good hunt as they raced into the treeline.

Tsu'tey was among them, raising his bow in salute to his father as he and his mount passed them. Jake raised his own hand in return, a small smile on his face.

"He's a great son. Determined, strong, a great warrior, loves his sisters. I love him Max, more than my own life." the former jarhead and father resumed speaking after watching the group fade into the trees, "But sometimes I think he's got a bit too much of me in him. He's as stubborn as I was at his age, wants to do what he thinks is right, and damn anyone who gets in his way."

Max gave his friend a small smile, "Sounds a lot like you all those years ago."

He got a pained smile in return, "True. But..." he held a hand over his heart, "I don't _feel _it here anymore Max. I don't want to fight them anymore. I want to grow old, laugh, teach my kids to be good people, and die peacefully." his face twisted slightly, "Watching that AMP suit bat Neytiri around like she was a rag doll killed any thoughts of fighting I'll have for the rest of my life. Even if I hadn't given my word.. no.. I wouldn't fight them again. I've had enough. I'm not going to orphan my children."

It was obvious to him that even now, several years after the fight, his friend still wasn't over how close his mate and love had come to death. Max had watched what little tape there was of the fight, and he had watched Weigand's black AMP toss Neytiri around like a toy. That she had survived, and only suffered mild paralyzation of her tail, was a testament to both luck and the skill of the doctors that had put her shattered body back together.

_The knowledge that she was lucky to survive at all probably doesn't help his state of mind much._ His thoughts wandered into darker waters, _And I'm sure seeing the kids who are grown up now, who have no parents thanks to that fight, doesn't help him much either. _

A slightly uneasy silence fell in between them, both simply gazing up at the _kelutral_, both equally lost within their own thoughts.

"That reminds me," the _Olo'eyktan _said after a moment, "Mo'at wanted me to talk to you about a plan she came up with."

Max listened intently as his friend outlined what Mo'at had come up with. It didn't take long, the plan was both simple and straightforwards, and Jake was not one to waste words.

"You think that it'll work?" he asked when the other had finished.

"I think it's worth a try." Jake rose with a sigh.

"That doesn't inspire much confidence." he murmured.

"I know Max, I know. But maybe.. maybe with everyone doing everything they can to stop this, maybe the kids will realize what we're trying to stop. I have to head out Max, let me know if anything else happens, all right?"

Promising that he would, and exchanging ritual goodbyes, he watched Jake head into the _kelutral_, no doubt preparing to make his way to the uppermost branches, where his _ikran_ waited.

He remained there for a while, before eventually reaching up to his throat mic and requesting that the waiting Samson circle in to pick him up. Norm and Katrina were supposed to be working on plans to speak with the other clans, might as well work with them and see if they could incorporate Mo'at's grand meeting of the _tsahik _into it.

* * *

**Date**: 11:56 AM, September 5th, 2174

**Location**: Hell's Gate, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Max's voice cut out after he gave them a short briefing on what had happened during his trip to the _Omaticaya, _and Norm whistled quietly as he leaned further back into his chair.

"So, Mo'at is calling a meeting of all the _tsahik_ huh?" Katrina murmured, "That is interesting."

"Hasn't happened since the first _Toruk'makto_." he agreed, "The first time of Great Sorrow."

The two scientists were settled comfortably in their lab, numerous computer panels and scraps of paper surrounding them, all covered with notes about the various local tribes, and the various ideas they had randomly come up with.

"What happened back then?" she asked, frowning in memory.

It took him a moment to remember the song, ancient even for the Na'vi. "Something about a huge war between two giant clans, and a third one stuck in the middle. They called in the _tsahik_ of all the clans on the continent to try and reach a peace, and when that failed, the first _Toruk'makto_ was the young _tsahik_ of the clan stuck in the middle, trying to find someway to force a peace between the two."

"Oddly appropriate, so, when are you going to go try and lasso a Leo?" her voice turned amused.

"Ha. ha. ha." he groaned, but smiled a bit as he did so. _The story is oddly appropriate, I have to admit. Still, that was a few thousand years ago, and from what little I remember, Eywa supported the young Tsahik looking for peace back then. _He pushed the thoughts out of his head and resumed speaking, "Well, that does give us a chance to speak with the leaders of other clans at least, see if any of them are more amicable towards us."

"Odds of that are nil, but I suppose it is worth a try." his friend mused, idly playing with her hair. "How should we go about it? 'We come in peace' is a bit stale, and I doubt they'll believe us."

He snorted, "I was thinking more we'd talk to them frankly, ask them what they dislike about us the most, and try to come up with a plan to make whatever they hate the most seem less important, or something we're going to work on. I mean, the elders at the _Omaticaya _were really impressed with our medicine, despite their skepticism about it being unnatural, maybe we can convince them to let us treat some of their ill?"

"Nothing like saving people from easily cured diseases to make an impression," she agreed, "Though we'd have to be careful to not overdue it, we don't want them to become utterly dependent on us for medicine. They're not stupid, they would probably think we were doing it on purpose and get hostile real fast."

The gawky scientist grunted an affirmative, "It would help if it didn't sound like something that humans _would _do."

"Yeah." Katrina shrugged again, "But what else can we offer really? They don't want technology, and the only reason they're tolerating us at the moment is because none of them want to fight again. I doubt most of them even believe that we are going to reclaim the mining sites when we're done, even though they already started on some of the old sites near Three."

Another grimace. "It'd help a lot if they actually believed us, but so many are still convinced that we're nothing more than liars and thieves, albeit ones with extremely powerful weapons that they don't want to go up against again_." _he muttered.

She sighed and nodded in acknowledgment, "That would be nice, but short of going back in time and changing how the early relations between _homo-sapiens_ and Na'vi went down, we're stuck."

"Max will think of something," he said, a bit more confidently, "He's good at that sort of thing."

A slight laugh there, "At randomly coming up with something inspiring that gets people to listen to him? Yeah, I have to say that he did turn out to be a lot better of a leader than I ever would have thought all those years back."

"If only he could kick that nervous habit of his, running his hand through his hair." he smiled in return, recalling their friend's tic, "Drives me nuts."

"I know! Maybe we should shave his head." the two shared a laugh at that, trying to keep the tension in the room light.

_Neither one of us thinks that this will be resolved peacefully, not after last time. _He realized, noting that Katrina's eyes remained haunted and dark even as she laughed and smiled, _If not for the oath we swore with Max, if not for the fact that we both know that Max will do everything he can to stop this, we probably wouldn't even be trying_. It was a sobering thought, one that jolted him slightly, _Would _I _be trying to stop this without Max leading me on?_

The answer depressed him greatly. _I always wanted to be the hero.. but now.. it all seems so futile. Tsu'tey will convince his friends and the young warriors and hunters of other clans to join him, they'll attack, and it will become a great bloody mess, and there won't be a thing I or anyone else can do to stop it. The harder we try to find a solution, the more it's going to hurt when we fail, and we know it. But Max will come back, give us one stern look, and we'll work ourselves half to death to try and prevent it._

He broke away from his self musings, slowly resuming his work with Katrina, the two of them running through the various notes on the nearby clans, trying to find something, anything, encouraging that they could give to Max when he got back.

* * *

**Date**: 7:29 PM, September 9th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

The sun was setting. The strange metal and stone homes of the _tawtute_ gleamed with the last vestiges of light, their alien appearance becoming even more so as their unnatural lights began to activate in response to the darkness. A pale white glow began to rise, almost like a halo around the place.

Peyral slowly crept through the trees, staying as far into the foliage as she could without losing sight of the _tawtute_'s home. She was not here to scout out their base once more, she had exhausted her searches of the area around it weeks ago. Tonight... tonight she was after a different kind of game.

Tsu'tey had headed this way after their hunting group had broken apart. That in itself was not unusual, of course. The hunting parties always broke apart, individual hunters moving in their own styles, or mated pairs hunting as one through the tress.

She simply hadn't liked the way he moved after they had split apart. Too quick, too hungry to be after mere game. He was after something else, something that had seen Eywa infuse his body with energy.

_Why does the all-mother want the war to resume?_ She shook her head in disbelief, _tswin_ and hair tussling against her back. _Did she not see the pain and horror of true war against the tawtute_?

Peyral was no stranger to combat. She had fought in every engagement against the aliens that her clan had participated in. From her _pa'li_, she had followed the original Tsu'tey into battle against the machines that had desecrated their holy groves. From her _ikran_, she had followed Jake'sully into the air against the great host that sought to slay their very goddess. She had fought in both of the raids that her _Olo'eyktan_ had led, and had participated in the great battle that had sought to drive the _tawtute_ from their world once and for all.

A half remembered conversation floated through her mind as she saw several _kunsips_ slowly rise into the air, their faint whine passing away as they moved towards the great 'mine' located not far from the base.

She had spoken with Jake'sully, asking the great _Toruk'makto_ if it would not be better to strike at the _tawtute_ and their machines far from the _Vitraya Ramunong_, far from where they could damage their living connection to Eywa herself.

The short and dark _tawtute_ woman had answered before he could, "Bad idea. Out there, beyond the vortex caused by that tree of yours, human weapons work totally fine. They'll kill most of you with missiles before you can even see them."

Before she could hiss at the woman that she had not asked her, the _Toruk'makto_ had nodded. "Their weapons are more horrible than you can imagine Peyral, but here, around the Tree, they won't be as accurate, their machines will not work as well. It's only here that we have a chance."

She had not understood before, what Trudy'chacon and Jake'sully had told her, so many seasons past.

Then the days of battle had occurred.

She understood now.

Listening to the horrifying tales from the other clans, those who had been struck down by weapons fired from _kunsips_ that they could not even see, had made her worry. Fighting on the ground, after her _ikran_ was slain, had made it worse. Her life-mate's lips pressing against her before she and her love had followed the _nantang_ into the dark tunnels of the _tawtute_ near one of their horrible mining-pits had sealed a soft knot of terror deep within her.

The furious combat that had greeted her was something that would haunt her nightmares for all time.

A single memory flashed within her mind, the machine lights of the _tawtute_ snapping suddenly off as the quiet hum of their machines died, her eyes revealing only darkness.

Then the screaming had started.

_NO!_ her mind screeched within her, and she shook herself violently. Even now, four years later, the weight of the memories of that darkness were enough to render her immobile if she let them overwhelm her. Pushing them aside, she rose and moved on, the barest edges of the memory still haunting her.

Unil had never emerged from that blackness, her body no doubt buried with hundreds of others near the _tawtute_ home.

She never wanted to see those strange white streaks in the air, hear the roar of machines flying faster than her eyes could follow, _feel_ the explosions within her very bones again. Shaking off the haunting, crippling memories, she resumed her tracking.

Tsu'tey was good. He was very good, his tracks were nearly invisible, and had any other hunter been on his trail, he would no doubt have shaken them.

_But I am not any other hunter you young fool._

Moving silently, she swiftly discovered his tail, laying motionless. The rest of his body was equally still, save his steady breathing, as he gazed upon the _tawtute_ home. He had chosen his position well, low-hanging leaves and brush concealing him from the direction that the _tawtute_ would likely come, but it left him entirely exposed to her.

Her tail thrashed once, silently.

He would not leave, not after a several day journey to reach this place. He would stay until he had scouted out everything he needed to know. Trying to drag him away would only draw the attention of the _tawtute_, and Jake'sully had warned her that the weapons that often guarded them were utterly soulless machines, unable to tell if one came in peace or war.

Making sure to move silently, and checking the wind to ensure that the younger warrior would not catch her scent, she carefully moved back the way she came and inspected the nearby section of the _tawtute_'s defenses.

_None of the strange box weapons..._ her tail thrashed silently once more as she thought furiously. She nodded to herself after coming to a decision, and made her way back to Tsu'tey.

It was not something she was entirely confident in, and it was quite possible she was about to get both herself and Tsu'tey killed.

But it was the only way she could think of to both remove him from here, and discourage him from trying it again.

Moving silently up behind him, she raised her right heel, and slammed it down as hard as she could on his tail.

His very loud shriek of pain was matched only by the sudden shouting of _tawtute_ and the mechanical screaming of their machines.

* * *

**Next up is Chapter 3: Cautious Defenses**

Sorry about the long wait, haven't been feeling well lately and combine that with a very hectic work schedule.. ya. But at least it's even longer than the last two, right? I do have off tomorrow, so I'll make it up to you guys with another chapter by tomorrow night.

In the meantime, hope everyone enjoys this planning chapter, not too much going on (at least, until the end, i'll admit, that was fun to write :) ). After working out a backstory for Peyral, I found myself liking it enough that she'll probably become a more regular PoV character, increasing the na'vi total for those of you who like that. Norm, on the other hand, is proving a bit harder to write than max, but i'll keep working at it.

In the next chapter we'll find out what happens to pey'ral and tsu'tey, as well as what both parker and thomes are up to as the humans slowly get into gear in their preparations for another round of combat.

**I'm Loving the number of reviews, keep them coming!**

**Also, I really enjoy the reviews that note their favorite parts or ask questions, so please, keep it up guys and girls!**

* * *

**Review Responses:**

Mashadar: remember, all of the ISV's that have arrived so far were already en route at the time of the last battle. They _have_ built a few more of course, but as they have to mine all of the materials for new ones themselves, simply making razor wire and barbed wire is easier.

AndreyRus: a family meeting/talk/debate/shouting match is definitely going to be in the picture :)

Hammerchuckery: Norm brought that up in the prologue (the bacterial soluation), they need a lot more lab gear to get that working. Maybe if this turns into a trilogy, you'll see it, at least in the experimental stage.

khaos974: well, given that na'vi are supposed to live longer than humans, and given that I would expect humans to be easily able to hit 120-140 by 2170, i'd guess that they could live to 150+. I'm thinking mo'at would be up there in years at this point, probably nearing a century old, and combine that with all the stress of losing her daughter, then her husband, her home, and having to watch two major battles, probably aged her quite a bit.


	4. Chapter 3: Cautious Defenses

Never let it be said that there is a lack of disclaimers upon this site.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Cautious Defenses**

**Date**: 8:11 PM, September 7th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Tsu'tey attempted to stand and run the moment he heard the massive, thumping footfalls of the _tawtute_'s _vrrtep_ machines.

With a soft grunt, she grabbed his _tswin_ and held tight, jerking him back next to her. He snarled and struggled, trying to turn and break himself free from her grip. For her part, Peyral simply grunted and maintained her grip, doing her best to ignore him, waiting for what she had caused to occur.

As she could have guessed, it did not take the _tawtute_ long to arrive. One of their machines simply smashed its way through the undergrowth and skidded to a halt, massive weapon raised and pointed directly at them.

Tsu'tey froze, gaping at it.

_Yes you moron, this is what you'll face in combat. _It was, like so many of the others, painted up like some a creature from a nightmare. Multiple serpentine heads snarled across its torso and arms, all with venomous green eyes that seemed to gaze directly upon her.

The being within the machine shouted something, and it took her a moment to realize a critical flaw in her plan.

She did not speak _inglisi_. She had never been very good at the language, and had forgotten all that Grace and the other _uniltirantokx_ had taught her in the previous years. There simply had not been any need to speak it, and it had slowly been pushed from her mind from the simple passage of time.

Tsu'tey did speak the language, albeit badly, but she had the suspicion that he would prefer to cut out his own tongue than speak with a _tawtute_.

The _tawtute_ shouted again, louder, and she winced slightly before speaking, "_I do not speak your language."_ She wracked her brain, searching through her memories, "I.. _inglisi _speak no."

It sounded horrible, even to her ears, but the _tawtute_ seemed to understand. At least, she hoped that it did, it stopped shouting at least. However, it did not cease pointing its weapon at her, and she in turn, did not move from her spot, or let Tsu'tey move from beside her.

She heard them coming long before she saw them, the feet crashing noisily through the jungle with no thoughts at all at remaining silent. Tsu'tey let out a superior sounding snort as several _tawtute_ emerged next to the machine, all with weapons and lights that they pointed at the pair of them.

The one in the machine turned slightly, keeping its weapon trained, and said something to them. They replied and slowly circled around her, weapons held but slowly lowered. The machine gestured towards the _tawtute_ home.

She gulped slightly and did not move.

It gestured again, this time more forcefully, taking a thundering step towards them.

The huntress had hoped that the _tawtute_ would simply let her go, or that one of them at least would be able to speak with her so she could explain what happened, and then leave with the _skxwang_. She did _not_ want to have to go into their cold metal home, but they did not seem to be giving her a choice.

_Come Peyral, you knew this might happen. Brace yourself, praise Eywa, and you'll be out of there as soon as you are able to speak with Max'patel or Norm'spellman_.

Tail thrashing sightly, she nodded and pushed Tsu'tey ahead of her, slowly making her way towards the _tawtute_ home. The aliens, for their part, fanned out around them, shouting ahead to the guards no doubt awaiting their return. Keeping much closer to her, and causing her nose to sting from its harsh metallic smell, the machine remained with them as well.

Tsu'tey began to struggle more as they neared the clearing around the base, snarling softly in pain as she maintained her grip on his _tswin_.

They made it to the edge of the clearing before she had to stop. He was struggling like a wounded _nantang_, snarling and hissing, tail beating against her body as he fought to get his body out of her grasp.

Part of her didn't blame him, she didn't want to go there either.

The rest of her wanted to scream and curse at the senseless _skxwang_. If he tried to run, the _tawtute_ would kill him for sure, and perhaps her after.

Tightening her grip, she snarled into his ear and tried to use her other hand to push onto a pressure point near his neck to subdue him. The young warrior, having been trained by she herself in hand to hand fighting, jerked his body madly to avoid it.

There was little warning before an annoyed voice snapped something, and a mechanical arm shot down and wrapped around Tsu'tey, jerking him out of her grasp. Holding the proud warrior as though he weighed nothing, the _vrrtep_ machine ignored his shouts and struggles and resumed striding towards the base.

_That was... unexpected_. She blinked, staring at the retreating form. The _tawtute _behind her shouted something and she jerked into motion, following the machine and its 'cargo' into the base.

She had heard descriptions of the place, and the defenses around it, from the warriors who had fought there, and viewed it from a long distance, but it was entirely something else to view it up close. The long, thin line in the ground confused her until she saw darkened shapes carefully watching them, weapons resting on the ground. To her left and right she saw thick stone blocks, larger weapons protruding from slits within the walls.

Trying to see everything in the strange place, where so many of her kin had died, she turned her head left and right quickly, letting her eyes fall across the area even as she followed the _tawtute_ towards the largest structure.

_I will never get over how alien they are. _Everything was harsh angles of stone and metal, nothing save grass seemed to be allowed to grow within here, and even the grass was limited to the areas not covered in a smooth black stone. Pale white light, so different from the natural glow of the sun or elder brother, shown from dozens of small machines.

_It is so unnatural here. _A _kunsip_ roared overhead, and she saw the huge monstrosity she had observed several days before slowly rising into the air, lights stabbing down from its stubby 'wings' as it drifted towards the trees.

It did not take them long to cross the great open space and reach the large structure. The machine unceremoniously set Tsu'tey onto the ground, and he stumbled and hissed at it, though he retained enough sense to not attempt to flee.

A section of the metal swung open, and several _tawtute_ walked out, blinking up at Tsu'tey and then at her.

One of them spoke quietly, "Tsu'tey? Peyral? _What in Eywa's name are you doing here?_"

_Toktor _Norm'spellman, she let out a quiet sigh of relief, "_This moron was attempting to scout your defenses, I caught him before he could observe much."_

He translated to the female standing next to him, and the woman turned her eyes up at her.

_Why do the sky people look so strange? I mean, her eyes are the color of water and her hair is the color of the sun. So very strange. Then again, their faces look so similar, perhaps that is how they tell one another apart?_

The woman spoke something, and the Norm translated for her, "_This is Commander Thomes, our leader. She wants to thank you for stopping him. She says that it is good to see that not all of the People are as stupid as he._"

Tsu'tey hissed at that, and the woman tossed him a glare before speaking again.

Norm appeared to gulp quietly, "_Tsu'tey, you might want to calm down. She isn't in the best mood right now._"

"_What did she say?"_ he hissed, "_If it means what I believe it does!"_

His grimace told her that it most likely did mean whatever Tsu'tey thought it did, and she carefully moved closer to him, tensing her body to prevent him from doing something stupid.

"Tsu'tey, _calm down._" she snapped at him, "_They could kill us in an instant._"

"_They would not dare harm us, Eywa and my father would see this place burn!_" the youth snapped back. He opened his mouth to continue, and she slammed her fist into his face, sending him whirling to the ground.

The _tawtute_ stared openly, several had their mouths open.

She grimaced. _To think that this is what it has come to.. striking a fellow tribe member, one whom I once counted as a dear friend. _It was not striking him that truly hurt her, and she knew it. Sometimes you had to hit an idiot to knock some sense into them. People were people, after all. It was the fear that one day she would have to do far worse to the young man that truly hurt her.

"_Please tell your Olo'eyktan that I apologize for his behavior, and that I shall watch him carefully to ensure that he does not attempt to reach this place again._" she spoke to Norm, trying not to let the pain of what she had just done echo in her voice.

The _toktor_'s sympathetic glance told her that he heard it all the same, but he translated as Tsu'tey struggled to his feet.

Thomes nodded and resumed speaking, Norm quickly translating, "_That is fine, but if it happens again, she warns you that she will be forced to hold him prisoner or kill him outright, depending on what they catch him doing. She's also going to call the _Dragon _back, and have it give you a ride. It will take you most of the way back to the home-tree._"

She grimaced at the thought of traveling so near to the _kelutral_ in a _tawtute_ machine, "_We can walk from here._"

He grimaced in return, "_She's not offering, she's telling. They don't want you to see anymore of their defenses then you already have."_

The _kunsip _had already turned, wind from its strange machine propulsion hurling dust and debris away as it slowly settled down onto the ground nearby.

Norm glanced at it before nodding, Thomes having already turned and headed back inside. "_How is your arm?"_

She blinked, "_My arm?_"

He pointed to the thin white scar on her upper right arm, "_Your arm. I'm the one that bandaged it, remember, is there any lingering pain at all? Aches?"_

"_No, it is fine. It has not troubled me in many seasons._"

The _toktor_ smiled up at her through the strange device upon his head, "_That is good, glad to know that I at can at least do something right. I'll probably see you at the Great Meeting, try to keep this kid in line please?"_

She blinked again as the thin _tawtute _made his way back inside, shaking her head.

_He was always a strange one, but perhaps the time here amongst his own kind has brought far more of that strangeness out. _

Still trying to make sense of what he had said, she grabbed Tsu'tey by the shoulder and pushed him ahead of her towards the massive _kunsip_.

Snarling, he shook her off and made his way there on his own, tail thrashing madly. He visibly straightened and prepared himself before he entered the machine.

She slowly entered as well, and her heart caught within her throat. The interior was largely dark, lit only by dim blue lights.

The world spun, and she slammed a hand out against the side, gulping down deep breaths.

_She could hear the screaming of nantang and tawtute alike, along with horrible cries from her kin as they fought within the dark tunnels. The dim, blue lights were haunting, so similar to the color of the trees but so very alien in turn. _

_Her bow was far too large to use within here, and it had been her knife that she had used the most, slaying a pair of sky people even as they hurled death out of a thin slit in the stone. One had drawn his own blade, managing to land a thin cut along her side before she had thrust her own deep into its chest. _

_They were quicker than she had thought they would be, their small limbs reacting with deft swiftness. _

_Moving deeper into the underground, she passed over bodies, stumbling over the blood soaked floor. Sky People. Na'vi. Far too many nantang. All were now equal in death. It made her sick, worsened by the low, droning humming of far-off machines._

_Snarling, she pushed on, hoping to meet up with Unil. She had gone one way, her mate the other, both following a nantang pack, hoping to meet each other in the center of this unholy place. _

_The nantang were gone now, slain or vanished. She hoped that her love was faring better. _

_Stumbling over a body, she turned a corner, and immediately gave a startled exclamation as a sky person ran directly into her legs, knocking both to the floor. _

How did I not hear them!?

_She stabbed and thrashed wildly, the sky person screaming in pain, struggling and failing to draw its own blade to fight back. A lucky stab to it neck ended its thrashing. Panting, heaving, she threw the body off of her._

_Carefully rising, she shook herself and prepared to resume her trek. _

The heart of this infernal place must be near, their leaders no doubt cowering within.

_The constant hum ceased suddenly. All sound died with it, as though all species within the tunnels were taking deep breaths, glad at the end of the noise._

_She did so herself, a touch of relief shooting through her._

Thank Eyw-

_The unnatural lights died._

Wha-

_The screaming began, louder than ever._

_She turned, trying to pierce the absolute darkness around her. There was no light, no light at all for her to see by. Gulping, she reached out and touched the sides of the tunnel, turning. _

I have to make my way back, Unil hates darkness like this, she'll head back as well. We can fight together outside, away from this abomination of a place.

_Time passed. As though in a nightmare. The screaming continued, rising, then falling. Sometimes she could hear the dull roar of the sky people's weapons amongst the shouting and cries of pain._

_Light suddenly appeared ahead of her, illuminating an intersection. She moved swiftly, crouching, waiting for the light to approach._

_The tawtute appeared, moving forwards carefully, a machine that emanated light in one hand, a weapon in the other._

_It saw her at the same time she saw it. _

_Her knife stuck, its weapon roared._

_Pain slammed through her right arm, her hand releasing her knife even as it slew the alien. She snarled in pain and clutched at her limb, blood flowing from the wound. _

_Staggering, she leaned down and picked up the light, and awkwardly tried to pick up the alien weapon. It was far too small for her hand, and she had no idea how the device even worked. Wincing, she tossed it aside and leaped nearly a foot into the air as it discharged upon hitting the ground, the wall a hands-breath from her face exploding in a shower of dirt. _

_Gulping softly, she made a note to never again touch an alien weapon without knowing how it worked, and knelt to retrieve her knife._

_Slowly, hissing occasionally in pain as her wounded arm brushed up against the too close together walls, she tried to make her way back out. _

_Only flashes of memory remained of her trek through the darkness. She knew that she slew more sky people. That she met another Na'vi, only for him to die horribly mere moments later. _

_What seemed like days later, she emerged into the light, other warriors racing to her, carefully helping her, asking her what had happened within, if any sky people remained, if she had seen any of the other dozens of souls that had entered with her._

_She didn't answer them, asking only for a healer, saying that she had to wait for Unil to return as well._

_Over fifty Na'vi had gone into the darkness. _

_Only seven ever emerged._

_Her love, her beautiful Unil, was not among them._

_She waited until dawn, refusing to leave from that spot, waiting for her to emerge. She didn't. Neither did any more of the People. Or any nantang. Or any sky people. She was the list breathing soul to leave that unholy place. _

_She remembered hearing the roar of sky people weapons from the trees. They were coming. It didn't matter, she had to go back into the darkness, she had to find her. _

_She had to-_

"Peyral! Peyral!" Tsu'tey was hissing at her, and she shook herself violently from her memory. There was no feeling of motion from within the machine.

The young warrior was looking at her with disdain in his eyes, "_We are there. They wish us to leave."_

She didn't even remember the journey.

* * *

**Date**: 5:51 PM, September 7h, 2174

**Location**: _Omaticaya Kelutral_, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Mo'at sighed, slowly sitting next to her daughter next to the fire. The _yerik _meat that Jake had brought home was slowly being turned on a spit.

"_Your son remains gone."_ she said after a long, companionable silence between mother and daughter.

"_He told me that he wished to hunt further away, to see if the hunting was any better farther from the home tree. Perhaps he will find some Talioang."_ her daughter replied, leaning forwards to carefully gaze at the meat before settling back, being sure that she did not sit upon her own tail.

"_That is good. It would do the clan good for another great hunt, and it would help feed our visitors."_

"_How many clans do you believe will come Mother?_"

"_To be fair, my daughter, many no doubt have other things to worry them. But I believe that at least eight or nine shall come to speak and discuss." _she let her tail roll behind her, shrugging.

Neytiri seemed to frown at that before murmuring, "_There has not been a gathering of this kind since the most ancient times. I think that there may be far more than that who answer your summons._"

She smiled at her daughter, "_Truly? Perhaps only a few will come, or perhaps my age is catching up to me and you shall be wiser than I."_

Her daughter gave her her own small smile, "_Even if I am wiser than you in this, I have no desire to become the next Tsahik just yet. Your grandchildren are more than enough of a duty for me, as is shepherding the skxwang that is our Olo'eyktan." _She carefully leaned in once more as she spoke, drawing a knife and cutting at the meat, placing the steaming food into bowls and passing one back to her, keeping the other.

"_You should be wary of calling him that my daughter, he is no-_"

"_Sa'nok! Sempul!"_ Sylwanin's shouts interrupted her, the young girl fairly flying into the room, before leaping to and clutching at her mother.

Both blinked, Gracie streaking in shortly after her twin and clutching at Neytiri as well.

"_What is it my daughters, what is it?_" her daughter asked softly, tossing her a worried glance. Mo'at felt her own fear within her,

The girls whimpered, and refused to speak, which worried the two women even more. It took them quite sometime to get them calmed down and the tears dry, just in time for Jake to stride into the room and blink at the sight.

"_What's wrong?_" he asked immediately, moving to kneel next to his mate.

"_Bad.. bad thing. Bad thing._" was all Gracie managed to stutter out.

A short bolt of ice shot through her heart, and her tail thrashed once. _Please no.. no.._

"_We were playing.. were playing in the grove. Then.. then it went past us. It was loud. It was so loud!_" Sylwanin choked out. "_It was scary and loud and huge and it looked like a demon!_"

Jake's eyes had gone cold and hard, but he managed to keep his voice soft as he spoke to them, "_Don't worry little ones, I will go find it, and I will make sure that it stays far far away from you. I promise._"

The _Olo'eyktan _glanced between the two of them, unspoken questions and answers flitted between their gazes.

Mo'at rose as he did, and the two moved quickly out of the room, the barely reassured children still clutching tightly to their mother, who was attempting to get their attention to food.

"What the hell are they playing at?" he snarled, the _inglisi _coming out in his rage, "Flying so close to the home-tree!"

She didn't offer him any reassurance, her own mind was still struggling over the knowledge, searching confusedly for any reason that wold make sense beyond the worst.

The two quickly made their way towards John's alcove, the Avatar was already snoozing in his make-shift cot, and didn't wake up as they approached. Ignoring the sleeping man, Jake stood next to the small 'radio' and began to work with it.

"Max! Norm! Katrina! Someone, answer dammit!" he snarled after turning it on, John nearly falling out of his bedding in surprise at the snarl, blinking sleepily.

She shook her head and held a hand to her lips, and the Avatar nodded before rubbing his eyes and standing, remaining quiet and puzzled.

_Why would they fly their machines so close to here.. they never have before, they've always avoided us as much as we avoid them. _

A sudden thought struck her. Peyral was out hunting. If she had tried to examine the _tawtute_'s home and gotten caught... they would most likely not take well to such an intrusion. If they had slain her... they might have brought her body back, to serve as a warning.

_Pleas Eywa, Great Mother, let me be wrong, let your great hunter still roam your woods. _She prayed silently, watching as Jake repeated himself once more.

It was in his fifth, and angriest, repetition that Norm responded, "Hey Jake, it's Norm, what's with the shouting man?"

"Don't bullshit me!" the _Olo'eyktan _continued to hiss and snarl, tail thrashing wildly, "There was gunship nearby here, what the fuck was with that! It scared my kids half to death! I told you-"

"I _know _Jake." Norm interrupted, his own voice irritated now.

Jake rocked back a bit, and she felt her own surprise ripple through her ears and tail. Norm was always the polite, quiet one. She had never seen him interrupt someone before, or even sound annoyed.

The far-off _toktor_ continued, "It was dropping Peyral and Tsu'tey off. Apparently your son tried to scout out the defenses, Peyral stalked and caught him, then a local patrol caught the both of them."

The _Olo'eyktan _froze, face locked in surprise and sudden fear.

She felt her own tinge of fear plunge through her, "Are they all right?" she asked in her halting _inglisi_.

"They're fine, except for Tsu'tey's pride. He tried to get away at one point and an AMP suit carried him like luggage. Thomes was pretty pissed at him, but was grateful enough to hear that Peyral was trying to stop him that she let them go with the warning that this is the only time they get away with it." the scientist explained.

Jake still looked stunned. "Tsu'tey? He was what?"

"Scouting out their.. our.. the defenses around Tartarus." Norm repeated.

A soft call of a horn echoed through the tree, and she heard shouted greetings. Her ears had not aged as much as the rest of her, and she clearly heard Peyral's name being called out.

Jake heard it as well and nodded, grimacing and rubbing the back of his neck, "Yeah, Peyral just got back. Sorry about.. ya, sorry Norm, I'll talk to her about it."

She heard the _tawtute _man sigh, "Just try to be a bit more quiet next time please? We get to sleep early over here."

Grimacing again, the former jarhead apologized once more before turning the machine off, turning rapidly and heading out to meet with the returned warrior, John and Mo'at quickly following.

_What in Eywa's name had her grand-son done?_

* * *

**Date**: 12:27 PM, September 8th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Grimacing, Parker Selfridge braced himself against the recoil and fired the pistol once more, the round impacted the target several inches to the right of the center

He grunted. It was much better than his shots usually were.

_Never going to make a very good soldier, am I?_ He asked himself rhetorically.

Several of his other miners were also practicing with the light pistols, all were doing tolerably well, but none were doing particularly great.

He sighed. As he could have guessed, most of his crew had volunteered to remain at Mine Site Two. The knowledge that they could very well end up being the bait in a trap hadn't phased them much, they were all confident in both their own ability to defend themselves as well as Kozlov and his Company's ability to protect them.

"Bloody blue-skins avoided them last time eh? Then they went and slaughtered their way all the way back to the base!" one of his miners had laughed when he had brought it up, "Those Ruskies'll keep us good and safe for ya boss, and we'll kill anythin' that gets past 'em."

The other miners and Third Company soldiers had laughed and cheered at that.

Morale had slowly begun to raise after the native woman had captured the younger one trying to spy on them. A lot of them felt confidently that the blue-skins would fight each other over whether or not to attack them, and if the pro-war group won, they'd be weak and easily killed. If the pro-peace group won, everything is good, continue to ignore them.

Somehow he doubted it would be that simple.

According to Patel, the last time the natives had actually fought each other in open war had been over a thousand years ago, and there were no tales or songs at all that ever described a civil war occurring.

Pushing the thoughts away, he resumed his 'training'. Not that he would actually ever use the pistol, or that he would ever actually fight in the trenches. It was mostly for show. Something to reveal to his people that yes, he too was going through all of the training that he and Maria had ordered.

_Stop thinking of her as Maria, Parker._ His mind chastised him, _Think of her as Commander Thomes and things will become significantly less awkward. _

It was hard to do. And getting more so all the time.

_It would be nicer if she admitted that the night happened at all_. _I mean, I have no idea if it means anything, but talking about it has to be better than all of this tense silences and sort-of glances at each other. _He sighs as his mind runs with the tangent, and carefully clicks the safety on his pistol before ejecting the empty magazine, making sure the pistol itself is empty before he set it down for the next miner to test with.

_No sense continuing to try this, just end up shooting worse than normal._

Putting his hands in his pockets, he sighs and makes his way inside, nodding congenially when a few of his employees greet him, but largely remaining silent as he strides to the Ops-Center.

Making a beeline for his office, he idly grabbed his putter and ruffled through the golf bag next to his desk until he managed to find the coffee cup and golf balls.

_Something to get my mind off of things. Or off of her. Off of both, everything. Whatever._ Shaking his head, he made his way out of his office and set up on the thin strip of artificial grass that the engineers had churned out of the STG plant for him.

Set up, relax, take careful aim, putt.

Set up, relax, take careful aim, putt.

Set up, relax, take careful aim, putt.

Retrieve all three of the balls from the cup..

Set up, relax, take careful aim, putt.

Time blurs, and he's vaguely aware of people moving around him, their careful smiles as they watch the administrator play golf. It did a wonderful job of slowly clearing his mind however, much as it always had.

Yawning and stretching, he glanced at the clock on the main holotable, a bit stunned to see that he'd been doing his endless repetition for nearly two hours. Shaking himself out, and feeling a bit embarrassed as several of the soldiers in the room shot him slight smirks, he carefully picked up everything and headed back into his office.

His computer was flashing in an irritating fashion, informing him that he had plenty of messages awaiting him. Sighing in disgust, he carefully put his clubs away, and glared at the screen for a moment before sitting down.

Two from Kozlov, both marked urgent. One from Thomes, yet again urgent. One from Theodas. Another from Patel. Five from Buck.

Ignoring the rest, he opened the messages from his mining foreman first, glancing over them. The first several were merely notations on how the transfer of gear was progressing, the last was a reminder that the two of them needed to examine Site One the next day to make sure that everything was properly set up.

Firing off a reply, he moved on. Both of the messages from Kozlov were about doing cross-training between his miners and the Russian troops at Site Two. He sent off his replies, asking what form of training Nikolai had in mind, and reminding him that most of his mining teams were at Site Two, helping move their equipment.

He flashed through the messages from Theodas and Patel, both were simple reminders being sent out to all departments about what their departments were doing.

That left only one message left, and he struggled to maintain the calm frame of mind that his hour of zen had put him into.

_Keep calm Parker, it's just going to be a routine, annoying, bland, boring message that really has nothing to do with you._

Tapping the message, he opened it and ran his eyes down over it, feeling his heart feeling oddly heavy when he noticed that it was indeed routine, merely reminding him Thomes was bringing down most of her crew for the movie and relaxation that was planned for tonight.

He froze at seeing at post-script.

_PS. I don't mind if you get drunk again._

He blinked at the small letters, mind stunned.

_Now what the hell does that mean?_ _Does she want to sleep with me again? Or does she just want me drunk for some other reason?_ _Both? She wants to sleep with me but only if we're drunk so she can deny it?_ His mind whirled slowly, trying to find something concrete to latch onto, and utterly failing.

Having retained just enough of his mind, he manged to close the message and send them all to his trash bin, before settling back in his chair and blinking slowly at the room around him.

_Plan Parker. You need to calm down and decide what you're doing._ He nodded to himself, glad that his office windows were currently at their opaque setting.

_Do you want to sleep with her again? _It took him less than a second to respond to that. _Yes. Ok, next step, do you think that's what she meant?_

That one took longer. _Maybe. Either that or she just wants to beat the hell out of me to try and get it out of her head. _

_Last question, for all the money, is it worth the risk?_

The problem with that was that he had no idea. He'd been so drunk that he couldn't remember being with her. She was more than attractive enough, and though her personality could be quite frigid, it was oddly something that never really bothered him. Just something to accept, even to admire, that she was remaining the same even after all the years stuck on this hell-hole.

_So, the plan is to get drunk then_. He nodded once more, feeling his face flush at his own train of thought.

_Calm down Parker, no need to embarrass yourself in front of the entire staff. Just stay relaxed, have fun drinking after the match tonight, and see what happens_.

* * *

**Next up is Chapter 4: Times of Preparation**

And here we go. Turned out quite longer than I had anticipated, but I think it's another good chapter. Fleshed out a bit of Peyral's back story and highlighted that she isn't, by any means, over what happened before. Apart from that, not much to say, life is slowly moving forwards even with everything happening, though worries and fears tend to be at the forefront of everyone's minds.

Hope everyone enjoys this chapter, you might not get another one for a while (I won't have another chapter done by tomorrow, and after that it's 3 straight double-shifts, so ya.. Wednesday. _Maybe _Tuesday night, if I can work up the energy).

**As always, please please continue to review!**


	5. Chapter 4: Times of Preparation

And lo, there was a disclaimer here, and it was informative.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Times of Preparation**

**Date**: 9:01 PM, September 8h, 2174

**Location**: _Omaticaya Kelutral_, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

"_What does she think she's playing at, revealing you to the aliens like that?" _Ean'atane snarled quietly as Tsu'tey finished his retelling of what had happened when he had tried to locate the defenses of the _tawtute_ base.

He, Ean'atane, and several other of the younger warriors were all crouched around a fire, eating and drinking as they soberly discussed both what had happened, and what was going to happen next.

"_Here I thought she was a great warrior."_ one of the others groused, shaking his head, "_It seems that she will not stand by Eywa's side after all._" Several others began to speak, agreeing vehemently.

"_She still is a great warrior, and that is the problem._" Tsu'tey spoke quietly, everyone else falling silent to listen, "_Do not forget that it was Pey'ral who trained us all in the hunt and the ways of war, and now she will be watching us very closely indeed."_

The woman he desired snarled quietly once more, "_We won't be able to go anywhere near their home now, she'll be watching us, waiting like Toruk to drag us back."_

He agreed fully with Ean'atane, which was the problem. They _had_ to find out more about the _tawtute_'s ways and defenses before they attempted to strike at the aliens. As much as he loathed the _tawtute_, as his father had once told him, they had far too many sayings about war that simply made too much sense to ignore.

"_Knowledge is power."_ he murmured softly, remembering hearing his father drumming that line over and over again into the older warriors, cautioning them not to strike at enemies they had no knowledge of. He continued, more loudly, "_We have to know more about their home before we can strike. If we mistake a strength for a weakness, we will not live to see them driven from our home."_

Everyone remained silent, slowly eating and gazing into the fire, half a dozen young Na'vi minds all turned to finding a way to escape from the watchful eyes of their elders long enough to achieve their goals.

"_None of the older warriors will aid us, none would cross your father and Pey'ral. The elders themselves want nothing to do with us."_ Ean'atane murmured softly, "_The weavers and singers have no knowledge of the ways of the hunt, much less of war."_

The silence resumed after she voiced her thoughts aloud, and Tsu'tey struggled to keep his eyes off of her and his mind focused on the task at hand.

In the distance, a voice began to quietly sing. Everyone's ears perked slightly as a chorus joined in, singing the tale of the history of the clan.

A thought came to him slowly, as though Eywa herself spoke to him through the song. "_The meeting. __The meeting of the Tsahik._" he felt a grin tugging at his face.

The others turned, blinking at him, and he elaborated, "_Pey'ral will have to go to the meeting, maybe some of the others will as well. They'll have to let us stay and hunt to make sure that none go hungry with so many hunters absent."_

One of the other females was skeptical, "_She will no doubt make you attend as well Tsu'tey._"

He nodded, "_Perhaps, but she cannot make all of us go, can she? Any who stay behind can make their way to the lands of the aliens, discover their weaknesses. The hunters will have far greater things to worry about than a few of us going on extended hunts. All we must do is bring kills home with us."_

Ean'atane was grinning with him, "_And even if they do track us, they cannot hope to stop us all._"

A slight chill ran up his back at her smile, "_Exactly. It should be easy."_

Her response was cut off by a pair of very loud children streaking into the light of their fire and hurling themselves at him.

Fierce laughter rolled through him as his younger sisters tackled him, their own laughter echoing in the space.

Gracie trilled "_Tsu'tey! Tsu'tey! Mother is looking for you!"_

Sylwannin instantly spoke up as her sister finished, "_She wants to see you, right now!"_

With an apologetic smile to his friends, he rose, easily hefting the two small girls up with him, both laughing as they clung to his torso, tails happily curling around his arms.

"_Let us hunt together in the morning, and continue our talks." _he bade them farewell, once more feeling his spirits buoy from Ean'atane's brilliant smile and half-hidden laughter at his sisters' antics.

Still walking a bit taller, he made his way into the main common area of the _kelutral_, dropping his sisters only when it came time to climb higher into the tree.

Grace and Sylwannin, being who they were, immediately made it a race to reach their familial alcove, and he smiled and joined in, taking care not to go too quickly for them and allowing Sylwannin to 'win'.

The two girls, still laughing, quickly darted off in another direction, no doubt looking for their friends to play yet more games with. Still smiling bemusedly, he entered the small alcove in the side of the great tree and greeted his mother ceremoniously, which she returned.

Neytiri was reclining in a small hammock, carefully examining a half-finished necklace. Her fingers deftly began to attach a small, carved figurine even as she spoke, "_Your father is most displeased with you my son. It took much persuasion on my part to stop him from trying to knock you senseless."_

He frowned, and carefully looked for his next words. His mother had no qualms with him resuming the battle against the aliens that defiled their homes, slew their kin, and defaced their goddess. She supported him fully, and he knew it. He also knew that she would not be able to fight, her injuries of seasons past still pained her, and without her tail.. she could still move easily enough, could still run after a fashion. But her balance was still impaired, and she risked falling whenever she moved too quickly, and sometimes she suffered from deep aches throughout her body. Even the healing of the _tawtute_ had limits, apparently.

On the other hand, his father...

"_Father swore an oath not to do battle with them anymore, or help those who would._" he spoke slowly, "_And I respect that. However, I do not see how he can allow their evil to continue while there are still those would end it._"

"_They are not all creatures of evil my son, remember Max'patel and Norm'spellman, who did all they could to aid us? And the dreamwalkers, who joined the clan?_" she reminded him pointedly.

He gestured in agreement, "_A few can see, but only a few. I would not harm them, as long as they do not harm Eywa. But far too many of them seek only to cause pain and death to the children of Eywa! They desire the gray rocks, nothing else, and slay anything that stands in their path. Sooner or later, they will strike at the home-trees of not just the Omaticaya, but every clan! We must strike them before they cause yet more harm, before my sisters have no home!"_

His mother gave him a soft smile, "_I am sure that it did not take that moving of a speech to sway your friends."_

His body burned slightly as his spots flared brightly with embarrassment. "_Sometimes.. I get carried away." _he admitted sheepishly, his tail curling tightly behind him.

She snorted and shook her head, "_Sometimes you have much of your father in your spirit. Like he once did, you see an evil, and you will rest at nothing to stop it, even though your elders tell you that you are insane to attempt it."_

"_I wish that father still saw things that way."_ he murmured quietly, "_And Pey'ral. With them by our side.. it would be far easier."_

"_My Jake is still haunted by my injuries. And Pey'ral.. the death of her mate, and the battle within those unholy tunnels, broke something within her heart, something I fear will never heal._" Neytiri spoke softly, setting the necklace aside and reclining further. "_Both will forever be against more battles. They have seen too much death in their time, more than any people should see."_

"_Yet more battles must be fought._" he stressed, "_They cannot be allowed to continue as they have!_"

She held up a hand, "_I know my son, but your father will not betray his oath, and he is yet your Olo'eyktan. Further more,"_ she leaned over and rapped her fist on his forehead, hard. "_What were you thinking, traveling alone, on foot, to that place! Your father is enraged not only because you still seek to do battle with them, but because you risked your life! Even with Pey'ral convincing them to let you both go, they could have just as easily slain you."_

"_The did not know I was there until she revealed me!"_ he shot back, wincing as she hit him lightly again.

"_Do not be so sure. Their machines are far too good at finding what we believe to be hidden. They did not know you were there, perhaps, but even the slightest mistake would have seen you slain."_ she snarled softly, tail twitching lightly, attempting to thrash as she rose from her bed. "_I have no desire to lose my only son. If you wish to do battle with the sky people, you must use your head far more than you have been."_

It stunned him to see his mother angered. She had never, _ever, _been truly angered by anything he had ever done. She had always left it to her mate to chastise her children when they did something she disliked.

"_I am trying, mother."_ he said quietly, "_But as father once said, 'you must know your enemy before you can fight him.' We have to find out where the sky people are strong and weak before we can begin to strike once more. I had to do it."_

She seemed to deflate slightly, still softly glaring at him but resuming her place on the hammock. "_At least bring a pa'li with you next time, or your ikran. You cannot flee from the sky people on foot." _

His mother sighed quietly and rested back once more as he nodded and promised to do so. "_That is enough for this day. I will speak to your father before the morning meal, and let us sit and laugh together as a family once more." _At the last, her smile slowly grew and she eyed him thoughtfully, "_Speaking of family, when are you finally going to claim that young warrior as your mate?"_

Embarrassment shot once more through him, and he idly wondered which conversation he would rather have: an argument with his father, or having to tell his mother about the woman he desired.

* * *

**Date**: 9:28 PM, September 8h, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Maria Thomes was grinning from ear to ear as she made her way into the Apartment complex.

_Ten game losing streak, snapped!_ Her crewmen had not been thrilled, at all, when she announced two months prior that she was increasing their off-time ground-side for the specific purpose of having additional practices and work-out time.

Yet the extra time had paid off, rather handsomely.

_Let's see them bitch now!_ She thought smugly, _We kicked Prochnow's Austrian ass completely!_

Everyone else had been rather stunned to see one of the high-tiered teams go down five to nil against the dead-last ranked team. Maria had even caught Parker and his foreman, Buck, talking quietly about increasing the training regime of their own team, even to the point of giving the team members extra time off from the mines in order to squeeze it in.

Part of her had wanted to come down on them for that, remind them that mining was why they were there, not football. In the end, however, she had decided that she was an ice-queen enough of the time, let them train.

_Hell, it'll be interesting to see how they try and cover it up, and be even more fun to watch my boys and girls still kick their asses anyway._ She grinned as she took off her exopack, breathing deeply as the airlock finished cycling.

Parker.

Her thoughts became a bit muddled suddenly, much of her good cheer evaporating as she remembered the message she had impulsively sent him in the afternoon.

_Dammit Maria, why the hell did you go and do that?_ She cursed herself silently, making her way towards the cafeteria where she knew the after-game party would already be starting.

Part of her well and truly did want to sleep with him again. After all, why not? He was attractive enough, and smart enough to meet her standards. On the other hand, she was the Commander, and sleeping with a man who was technically a subordinate was not something that she should be doing.

_And how long will it take everyone else to figure it out?_ She wondered idly. Tartarus was not an overly large facility, she'd been lucky enough to slip out of his room unnoticed the first time.

The other question to wonder about was whether or not she actually liked him, or if her only real purpose was relieving the built-up sexual tension after being stuck on Pandora for several years without having any form of a relationship.

Before she continue with her inner debate, Dr. Patel leaned out of a room and noticed her, calling out in greeting, "Commander Thomes! Great game!" He was smiling, but retained a serious look to himself.

She gave him a slight smile, "Why thank you Doctor. Somehow I disbelieve that that is the only thing you want to tell me."

He gave her a slightly sheepish look, "Actually, yes. It has to do with the upcoming meeting that the Na'vi are orchestrating."

Maria gave a slight sigh at that. As much as she had been delaying her arrival to the party, the idea of delaying her arrival with talk about the blue-skins wasn't something she particularly wanted to undergo.

_There are days when I truly miss Weigand, when he had to deal with all of this and I only had to concern myself with the Dream._

She leaned against the wall and nodded to him, "Everyone is probably already drunk, so go ahead."

He gave another slight smile, "Well, the meeting is in six days at the Tree of Souls, and Mo'at thinks that they'll get at least seven or eight other _Tsahik_ to attend. Maybe as high as a dozen. Now, you want me to go there, talk to them, feel out the anti-human sentiment right?"

"Essentially." she gave a slight shrug, "If you want to expand your job into a full-on ambassador, feel free."

"Well," he began again, running a hand through his salt and pepper hair, "That's partially what I was thinking. Mo'at said that the main focus of the meeting is going to be about how to best maintain the peace between us, and I was wondering how much leeway you would give me in negotiating."

"We need to continue to mine at a rate able to fill one ISV a year, for the next four years." she rattled off from memory, "After that, at a rate of half again as much until the Heracles colony up and running, then we're back down to one. Apart from that, the obvious. We're not leaving, don't want to fight, don't particularly want to expand, etc. etc."

Finishing, she blinked and cocked her head slightly, "What do you intend to offer anyway?"

"I was thinking we could offer to fix up the area that Quaritch destroyed, the old home-tree." he said slowly, "That and remind them that we've already started work on filling in the old Hell's Gate mine, and that as soon as we finish mining there we'll finish the last of it. We can't really offer medicine, but maybe offer to teach them some of our basic medicinal techniques? I don't know, I'll probably have to make it up as I go along." he admitted at the end.

She sighed and leaned back, and asked a question that had been annoying her ever since they had caught the two natives, "And the main focus of the meeting falls through? They can't be the only tribe having problems, not if their precious goddess is cheering them on."

He grimaced and looked down, "Then.. then I don't know. It'll come down to fighting then. Either Na'vi against Na'vi, or Na'vi against human. Maybe both."

Closing her eyes, she nodded slowly. It wasn't anything she had not already guessed. "What would hurt them more. Striking their homes, or at their goddess?"

Patel froze utterly, breathing deeply and closing his eyes. "I.. I'm.. I will _not_ answer that question."

Maria gave him an arch look, and he shook his head. "You brought me in to help keep the peace, and until the fighting starts that is what I'll do, but I'm not going to help that way. I didn't help them plan the attack on Tartarus, I'm not going to help you plan your attacks."

_So, the good doctor's principles are as strong as ever. _"And what would you do, if we took a leaf from Quaritch's book? If we went to torch and burn their Tree of Souls, or loaded up with incendiary rounds and hit their home-trees?"

Dead silence answered her, Patel's head was bowed, and he was shaking his head slightly.

"I suggest you decide, or ensure that it doesn't get to that point." she told him pointedly, before pushing off from the wall and moving past him, heading towards the cafeteria.

Whatever good mood she had possessed from the game was now fully ruined, and she moved swiftly into the room, easily avoiding the stumbling, drunken persons around her, and headed for the vodka.

Perhaps two hours later, she was totally and utterly drunk.

Giggling softly, she tried to remember why getting drunk was a bad idea. It had something to with someone else..

_Oh well. I can worry about it later._ She thought cheerfully, laughing as several of her crewmen drunkenly re-enacted the goals they had scored in the game.

Everyone else was laughing and cheering as well, talking excitedly about the game and debating via drunken logic who would win next week. The few sober individuals, generally sitting and letting themselves be amused by the chaos around them, wore smiles and held whispered conversations.

Several were glancing at her and laughing with their friends, it was not often that the ice queen unwound after all.

"Maria! There you are!" Parker stumbled over, dragging his completely wasted mining foreman behind him. "Buck and I agreed, we are gonna beat you next week!" He managed to make the statement sound like an utter fact, not noticing that his companion had simply slid down to the floor next to him, babbling incoherently.

She snorted and swayed in place as the room spun slightly, "Not a chance. Overrated. That's what you are. My team is much better, we're in space all the time!"

The drunken debate continued, and the small part of her that recognized that she was drunk also noted that the arguments that both of them were using made no real sense. The rest of her had become detached from what was happening, simply enjoying the alcohol in her body and finding it perfectly logical to follow Parker, still arguing with him, out of the cafeteria. That same part of her thought it was a splendid idea to shove him into his room, laughing as they fell into bed, already wrapped around each other.

* * *

**Date**: 7:15 AM, September 8h, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Waking up next to a fully nude Maria Thomes, and having not been so drunk as to not remember the very pleasurable tryst the night before, was fully pleasant to Parker Selfridge.

The shrieking of the base's alarms upon his hangover fogged brain was something he could do without though.

_Of all of the days for something to happen._ He snarled mentally, and tried to figure out how to extricate himself from the tangle of her body and the sheets. Fortunately, she solved the problem for him, awaking with a groan before sitting up next to him and cursing as she rolled off the bed and began to scramble for her clothes. Taking just a moment to appreciate the view offered to him, he too scrambled out of bed and made for his closet, tossing his own clothes on.

Both finishing, he slapped the door open and the two of them darted into the crowded hallway, and he astutely stayed close behind her and she shoved and snarled commands to get everyone out of her way.

He did note that several of the personnel had stunned looks on their faces, and he grimaced with the realization that everyone would know _exactly_ where their Commander had spent the night within a matter of hours.

_That will either result in her never approaching me again, or forcing her to be more open about it.._ He mused, trying to ignore the painful throb that accompanied each deep roar of the alarm.

Thoughts of his love life flashed out of his head as the two of them reached the Ops-Center, and while he made a beeline for the main holo-table, Thomes instantly began shouting, "What the _hell_ is going on? Sit-rep, _now!_"

The communications officer shouted back over the alarms, slapping irritatedly at the controls as she did so, "We've lost contact with the patrol coming in from Hell's Gate! Samsons 23 and 32 are both MIA."

"God dammit." he muttered, gazing at the holo-image before him. It was already showing the route from Hell's Gate to Tartarus, and where contact had been lost with the two helicopter group.

_Two Samsons, six men. _"Was there a distress call?" he asked her, glancing once more at the image.

"No sir, and that's the problem." the woman made her way from her station to the holo-table, gesturing at the terrain. "They reported seeing something in this valley here, and 23 moved in for a closer look while 32 hung back to cover them. I asked for a sitrep a minute later and got nothing back. I informed the Colonel, and then tried to reach them again. He declared an emergency after the third attempt and is mounting an expedition to that area now."

Thomes had made her way over during the impromptu briefing and grunted. "Get the _Dream_ on the line, I want satellite coverage on that valley _now_."

The other woman raced off to relay the orders, and he shook his head, glancing at Maria and murmuring so that only she could hear him, "What the hell could take out two Samsons without them being able to get off distress calls? Even garbled or cut-off ones?"

"Shut up Parker," she muttered back quietly, "And I have no idea."

The dull roar of dozens of engine turbines spinning into high gear caused him to glance up and outside, and he instantly whistled softly as blue and green aircraft slowly lurched into the air.

_Theodas is going full-boar here. The Dragon and two full squadrons.. then again, better have to have more firepower than you need than not enough. _His eyes followed the various gunships as they passed out of his line of sight before returning to the image before him.

"Parker, get your people armed." Maria tapped him hard on a shoulder, "And into their positions."

He blinked at her before nodding, grabbing his headset and placing it over an ear. "This is the Administrator to all mining groups, get your gear stowed safely and then report to your combat posts. Get moving people."

It was probably redundant, his people were well trained, but he supposed it couldn't hurt.

_At least whatever this is is occurring now, when we're at minimal operations. There's barely any mining to disrupt. If the blue-skins or the animals or the goddess or whatever the fuck it is had moved a few months ago, when we were pushing to finish loading up the Hermes._

The communications officer reported in again, glancing over her screen, "Report from the _Explorer's Hope_ ma'am, they've got a live feed to the area. Reporting several fires in the area as well as increased thermal scans, no sign of our birds."

"Get the feed patched in." their Commander snapped, glaring at the holo-image until it flickered into a two-dimensional plane showing the scans being taken by the orbiting ISV.

Three bright white locations showed where fires were currently raging, and the rest of the area was a dull, glowing red. Much of it was moving out of the area, mostly to the north-east, away from both of the human bases.

Two of the flaring spots were larger than the third, and he grimaced, tapping them slightly. "Burning Samson here and here, probably pieces of one of them here." he tapped the last He'd seen such images all the time before, decades past at Hell's Gate, and again during the titanic battle he had been forced to observe.

"Only question now is if it is the blue-skins or the creatures." Thomes spoke quietly, coldly, her voice promising retribution to whichever group had caused the deaths of her people.

_I wonder if she's going to wake up in this kind of mood every day. _He wondered idly, grimacing as the familiar cold feeling began to return to his gut. _Then again, considering how our last two mornings after sleeping with one another have been, assuming that she'll have sex with me again is probably assuming a great deal. _

He continued to try and distract himself with memories of the previous night and idle wondering about the future to keep his mind off of the fact that it was seeming more and more probable that yet another battle would soon scar the surface of Pandora.

* * *

**Date**: 7:57 AM, September 8h, 2174

**Location**: Near Crash-Site, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Colonel Brian Theodas gazed unflinchingly at the pair of burning pyres that no doubt marked the grave-sites of six men and women.

His Dragon gunship was hovering over the area, its numerous weapons covering the ground team as they rappelled down from its cavernous bay, Scorpions and Samsons flitting into patrolling patterns around the site.

The radio came alive, "This is Ground Team to Alpha Wolf, we've reached the ground."

"Alpha Wolf copies, you are go, over." he replied, still not taking his eyes off of the burning wreckage.

Six of their precious AMP suits fanned out, covering the smaller infantrymen as they carefully picked their way towards the wreckage. He gave them several minutes, watching without speaking as they examined the area, occasionally pointing to something and talking on their own channels.

The Lieutenant in charge eventually began his report, "I have no idea what hit the Samsons sir, but whatever did hit them fast. It was a creature though, not blue-skins. Both have claw marks all over them, fires started when the fuel lines ruptured on hitting the ground."

"Any sign of survivors?" he asked, knowing full well what the answer was going to be.

"Maybe... maybe pieces of 23's pilot sir. There's not much left of her. If I had to guess... Leo's hit them, one after the other, from high dives. They're the only things with enough muscle and mass to do it that quick. Hit them with enough speed to slam them into the ground before they could report in, then Viper wolves finished them off. Maybe Thanators. Hell, maybe even Slingers, can't really tell."

"Get hooked back up and we'll reel you in." he commanded, before switching over to the command circuit and relaying what the team had found to Thomes.

The Commander was a hard woman to work out. On one had, he appreciated the fact that she could be a cold, heartless bitch, utterly willing to kill hundreds of blue-skins and their pets if it meant saving a few dozen human lives. On the other hand, she had no qualms about reaming both him and his people out for any perceived failure and demanded near-perfection in their training techniques. While he had to admit that his First Company was now exceedingly well-drilled and trained, it had caused his people to have no love for her.

"Son of a bitch." she spat when he was finished, "Seems that Goddess of theirs is turning up the heat. That's advanced tactics, nothing animals would think of on their own."

_She's already in a foul mood. This will go well._ He though, letting a slight grin creep onto his face, "And how will we respond Commander?"

"I'm sending a Valkyrie there to recover the wreckage, keep your team on station." she paused, "It seems this region is becoming a tad crowded once more, it's time to fight fire with fire. Take your time coming home. Don't waste your missiles."

The signal cut out, and he felt his grin widen slightly.

"Ice-bitch isn't that bad after all." the secondary gunner murmured, his youthful face sporting its own grin.

"Cut the chatter, and I fully agree Corporal." he replied to the younger man, making sure to make his tone flippant enough that the young man merely nodded and chuckled.

With his own smile, he flicked back to his squadron's frequency, "All ships remain on station until the Valkyrie arrives. Once the salvage op is complete, Samsons are to ascend to ten-thousand feet and be on the lookout for anything that flies. Scorpions will accompany us. Orders are to kill anything that moves between here and home, bullets only. When we're out, we swap with the Samson group. Go to town boys and girls."

Three hours later, after the Valkyrie had finished dragging the two wrecked gunships aboard, the squadrons slowly fanned out into a broad line, kilometers long.

Gunfire roared sporadically as they slowly cruised south-west, and they were able to drag out a one hour flight into a nearly five hour expedition. By their reckoning, not a single critter, be it predator or prey, yet lived where they had flown.

By the time the First Company arrived at Tartarus, the cameras aboard the _Explorer's Hope _and the various satellites showed only a swathe of destroyed foliage, two kilometers wide, by nearly a hundred and fifty long, behind them.

Colonel Theodas would not know that by the next morning, scouts from the _Omaticaya_ had reached the massive trail, and were already racing back to report the latest transgression by the alien invaders.

* * *

Next up is Chapter 5: Cries of Pain

Right, so that took a lot longer even than anticipated, thanks to combining over-work with a severe head/throat/stomach cold, I didn't actually start writing this until yesterday, woke up today, read what I had done, loathed it, and started over. I don't think it's my best chapter, but it sets up what I have penned out for the future.

Hope everyone likes it well enough, and as always, I'm very glad to the reviews. Also, I recently realized that I had disabled anonymous reviews, so with that now fixed I'm hoping that more people will be able to tell me what they think. Remember, criticism is ok, flames are not, stay civil please.

As for the fic itself, things continue to slowly fall apart for everyone involved. The humans are once more fed up with what has happened, especially as it occurred on the morning after their time of relaxation. The na'vi are starting to fracture increasingly far apart within their own ranks, and we'll see what's going to happen after the humans' most recent version of their mass-hunting.

**I love reviews, so please please please keep reviewing!**


	6. Chapter 5: Cries of Pain

To Disclaim, or not to Disclaim, that is the question.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Cries of Pain**

**Date**: 8:25 PM, September 8h, 2174

**Location**: _Omaticaya Kelutral_, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

"_SILENCE!"_ Jake roared so loudly that he felt his throat ache in protest.

The mass-chatter, arguments, and shouts died instantly as every member of the tribe turned their eyes to their _Olo'eyktan_.

He sighed and resisted the urge to rub his forehead. Ever since the hunters had returned, shouting that the humans had begun to kill everything in their insanity. The news had spread like a wildfire, and soon everyone had gathered in the main common area, shouting and screaming at one another.

Tsu'tey and the other young hunters had immediately begun shouting that they had to strike against them now, before they could continue. Other hunters began to shout that they needed to know more about what was happening before they could react to what was happening. Still more wondered if the hunters were not exaggerating, wondering if the _tawtute_ were not simply hunting and the People had misinterpreted what the strange aliens were doing.

_We have no idea what actually happened._ He swore mentally, _It might be any of that. _

Knowing that he was about to ignite a powder keg, he spoke calmly and clearly, "_It seems clear that we do not truly know what is happening, and to act now, without the knowledge of what is actually happening, is folly. I will speak with-"_

He had to pause there, glaring at his son who had immediately started shouting again.

"_NO! The aliens have gone too far, yet again! We must-_" Tsu'tey was cut off when Pey'ral cuffed him across his left cheek.

"_You will give your Olo'eyktan your silence until he has finished!_" she snapped.

Jake waited a moment, making sure that his son noticed his glare, before resuming, "_I will speak with Max'patel and see what he knows. However, we cannot always rely upon him for information. Pey'ral, choose four hunters and send them to investigate. Avoid the sky people as best they can, but discover what they believe happened."_

That did seem to quell most of the arguments, though his son had quickly rounded up his 'gang' and began to speak with them quietly.

He sighed softly and stepped off from the rock he had been standing on.

_Of course. God or Eywa forbid that we have just a few more years of peace._ He complained mentally, longing for the time before the humans had returned to Pandora, back when the only thing he had to worry about was where he and Neytiri would hunt for the day.

Now... now everything was complicated, and getting more so all the time. Even during the battles that had occurred before, things hadn't really seemed complicated, not really. It had been simple, us against them. Those defending their way of life against the invaders who sought to destroy it.

_My own son is agitating for war, against humans who want nothing to do with us, but are fully willing to hunt down and kill every last Na'vi on Pandora if we piss them off sufficiently. _

He sighed yet again, and slowly made his way down, into the roots of the _kelutral_, heading down into the chamber usually reserved for Spirit Hunts.

Sitting, the former marine gazed mutely into the pit that normally held a roaring fire. The arguments and shouting, though now silenced, still echoed uncomfortably within his mind.

_Whatever innocence the Na'vi had the humans have managed to destroy, maybe once and for all this time. _

That terrified him on so many levels. You could only gaze at something so long before you became what you beheld, and the arguments and debates that had begun to tear apart his home were nothing like anything he had seen before amongst the _Omaticaya_.

He heard slow, careful footfalls echoing down the passageway before he saw Mo'at and Pey'ral emerge into the cavern. Part of him wished that Neytiri could be there, and not taking care of their little girls, keeping them separate from the increasing strife.

_Then again, she's been very supportive of Tsu'tey lately, _he reminded himself.

Trying to shake off the thoughts and memories of his difficulties with Neytiri, he instead focused on his second and his mother in law.

"Did you select the hunters?"he directed the question to Pey'ral, who froze and blinked at him.

It took him a moment to realize he had asked in English.

Jake snorted and shook his head at himself, _What the hell Jake..._"_Apologies, did you select the hunters?_"

The woman still seemed slightly confused but nodded, "_They have already left. With luck, they will discover what the sky people have done and be back by dawn."_

Mo'at sighed and settled down more comfortably into her resting position, "_Olo'eyktan, you were once one of them. What do you believe?_"

_I really didn't need that reminder right now._ He grimaced but spoke, "_It reminds me of the mass-hunts that they performed before, just on a larger scale. What concerns me more is what caused it. Something scared or angered them enough to make them want to kill everything that could attack them."_

The _tsahik_ hissed softly, "_You believe that Eywa struck at them._" It was a statement.

"_I did not want to say as much before the full clan._" he admitted, giving a slightly sheepish nod, "_But I think that is the most likely explanation._"

Another quiet hiss came from the elder matriarch, "_This complicates things greatly, coming so soon before the grand meeting."_

He blinked, confusion filling him slightly, "_What do you mean?_"

The spiritual leader of the clan explained, "_Regardless of why they slew so many living beings, that they have done so seems clear, and will no doubt be confirmed by morning. The other clans will have to be told or shall learn of it. If _Max'patel_ is there when they learn of it.. I fear what their reactions might be._"

Of course, the political angle, something he'd never gotten the grasp of.

Jake spoke quietly, "_He would be in danger, and even if he is unharmed, they will ignore whatever he might say._"

Pey'ral grimaced, shaking her head, "_The sky people will not like it if we say he may not come, and many a young warrior may see it as a sign that you support Tsu'tey._"

"_No choice."_ he grunted, _"I'll tell him when we're done."_

His warrior second nodded and resumed speaking, her voice quiet, "_And what do we do.. should the meeting support conflict?_"

Silence slowly came over them, the three Na'vi gazing quietly upon one another.

None made any attempt to break it, and Jake eventually leaned in, carefully creating a fire in the pit, leaning back and tossing some additional deadwood as it slowly began to grow.

The silence remained, their gazes turned to the fire.

"_We'll see how the meeting goes first." _he said eventually, and Pey'ral nodded though she still looked uncertain and uncomfortable.

The older woman spoke quietly, "_I know many of the other tsahik. I do not believe that many shall wish for more conflict, to bring more harm upon both the People and upon Eywa. But with so many clans brought to ruin by the prior battle.. there may be many new faces, young faces that heed the brave words of your son, and the visions of Eywa."_

That brought his brain to a screeching halt, "_She's been sending dreams again! Why didn't you tell us?"_

"_I just did._" her voice was curt, "_They began last week. Dreams of fire and death, of the machines of the sky people slaying all living things before them. Of the death of the people."_

"_Not exactly subtle."_ he grunted.

"_How can she still want conflict?_" Pey'ral snarled, tail thrashing behind her, "_How can the all-mother not see the pain she causes?_"

"_She does, the pain of all her children pains her as well."_ the older woman replied, "_And that is why she desires the sky people to be driven back, even though it will result in more bloodshed. She believes that their presence will only bring the end of the people, of life, of herself, and she will not listen to any counsel but her own."_

He sighed softly. Eywa did not takes sides, she only preserved the balance of life. Except now, she suddenly wasn't doing that. She was very much taking sides, and very much seemed to be acting in a manner that didn't seem to be aimed for preserving life.

It wasn't something comfortable to think about, even for someone who was always questioning his faith. For Pey'ral and especially Mo'at.. everything they believed about their goddess was being called into question. He wouldn't have wanted to be in their minds, not for an instant.

They sat quietly once more for a period of time before Mo'at nodded and slowly rose, "_I shall take my leave now, Olo'eyktan. I shall leave at first light._"

The two warriors both rose as she left, Jake sighing and not looking forwards at all to having to tell Max that he wouldn't be able to show up to the meeting, and trying desperately to figure out what the political problems were going to be.

* * *

**Date**: 9:37 PM, September 8h, 2174

**Location**: Hell's Gate, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

"Two Samsons went down between here and Tartarus." Max explained to Jake over the radio, trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes, "Both were covered up in claw marks and torn to shreds by something, never-mind the fact that they hit the ground before they could even get distress calls off."

A disgusted sigh could be heard before his Avatar turned _Olo'eyktan_ friend asked a rhetorical question, "Any survivors?"

He grimaced, recalling the images that he'd seen from the ground team. "Maybe.. maybe pieces of one of the pilots. There... wasn't much left of her."

A very long pause followed before a soft curse in Na'vi.

"Thomes and Theodas are fighting mad." Max continued softly, "She had him kill everything they could find between the crash site and Tartarus, and I think she's planning on starting another round of the mass hunts or exterminations or whatever you want to call them."

Another curse. "Thomes is feeding the fire here, there's plenty of people who were on the line who will probably go over to the hawk-group now."

"I know," he replied, trying for soothing but knowing that he only sounded tired, "But that's who she is. Six humans died, she isn't about to let that go unanswered."

"Max..." Jake began slowly, "This isn't going to look good before the other clans."

He felt a sharp spike of pain, "You don't want me to go." he guessed.

"It's what's best." his friend said quietly, his heart obviously not in his voice, "A lot of the people won't find out about what happened until the meeting, and their reactions might not be the best. Even if you do come, and someone doesn't do something stupid, they won't be in any mood to listen to you. We're going to have our work cut out for us convincing them all to help keep the lid down on Tsu'tey as it is."

Max wanted to argue, wanted to say that he could still help, try and soften the blow dealt by the latest news, that he could convince the Na'vi that he and the other humans could do more good than evil.

He would be wasting his breath, and he knew it.

"All right Jake," exhaustion washed over him, "Let me know how it goes. I'll report to Thomes."

Flicking the radio signal off, Jake's apology died mid-sentence.

Staring silently at the computer, he eventually made the connection to Tartarus, and asked the communications officer to put him through to the Commander.

"She is in her quarters, please give me a moment." she responded politely, and he sat in silence for a long moment before Thomes's voice came across.

"Thomes here." she sounded fairly breathless and he blinked.

"This is Patel.. am I interrupting something?"

"Just working out." she explained, sounding impatient, "Don't have the time in the mornings anymore. What do you want Doctor?"

He blinked again before shrugging it off, "Jake just called, the Na'vi already know about the attack. They don't want me to go to the _Tsahik_ summit now, say it's both dangerous and useless. As much as I dislike it.. I'm inclined to agree."

Thomes gave a slight snarl, "They're shooting down diplomacy?"

"They still don't want to fight, I think they're more concerned about my health at this point." he was slightly alarmed at her tone, and added a white lie, "He also said that depending on how the meeting goes, he'll want to speak with me about going out to the other clans after it's over. They think they might respond better in a more personal environment."

She gave a soft sigh, again sounding a bit odd, "Fine. I want a report on your updated plans by lunch."

The signal cut out again.

Shrugging off her odd tone, he rose and made his way into their living area, glancing around almost idly as he entered. Katrina was in a make-shift reclining chair, lounging as she slowly scrolled through a report on her hand-held monitor. Everyone else seemed to already be in 'bed', their privacy curtains closed and the room's lights turned down low.

He sighed, made his way over to his own area, and collapsed into his chair, gazing dully at his surroundings.

"That bad of a call huh?" his compatriot's voice carried quietly.

That earned a soft grunt in reply, "Understatement."

She raised an eyebrow and glanced over at him, and sighing, he gave her a run-down on everything that had happened.

"Well, shit is hitting the fan then." she grunted back, sounding as tired as he felt. "At least it's out of our hands at this point."

He blinked at her, trying to force his exhausted brain to make sense of what she was saying.

Noting his expression, she explained, "We can't really do anything at this point Max, not with prejudice on both sides at an all time high. If you try to do something you'll only end up getting hurt. Again."

"Again?"

The blonde woman sighed and set her monitor on her desk before leaning forwards, "Max, you're still beating yourself up over what happened years ago. Norm let it go. I let it go. There was nothing more that we could do then, and there's nothing we can do now."

He blinked at she continued, adding a slight glare, "You've been nothing but depressed ever since the expedition got here, even after we joined up with them. We did everything we could do last time. The Na'vi don't want our help this time, they want to take care of this themselves. As your friend, I have to say I'm sick of walking into a room to hear you sigh or see you staring at the casualty reports from the battle."

Memories flashed through his head as he tried to see if what she was saying was right.

His shoulders slumped slightly. It _had_ been a really long two years. Never-mind the chaos of humanity's return to the moon.

_Face it Max. You've been obsessing about ways to stop the fighting ever since the battle broke out last time, with just as much success. She's right, there's nothing you can do this time._

It tasted bitter. He knew there was nothing he could do this time, that he could only act as Thomes and Jake let him. Thomes could almost care less what he did, as long as results appeared. Jake would try to let diplomacy play out, but the other members of the clans might not agree with him.

_And he isn't Toruk'makto anymore, he doesn't command their obedience. He's just another Olo'eyktan now._ _You can't do anything to help directly at the moment, so you have to start using your brain again. Do what I should have been doing from the start, coming up with plans and solutions to future problems, not sitting around and moping over what can't be changed._

Still feeling depressed, though far less so, he gave Katrina a small smile and thanked her before closing his screen and preparing for bed.

* * *

**Date**: 8:42 AM, September 9h, 2174

**Location**: Camp Augustine, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Norm sighed as he looked over his former home. Eywa was already overrunning the place, their former farm area was already gone, fully covered in plants. The single prefab still remaining was caught up in vines, and a pair of small trees were trying to enshroud it.

_Why did I even come back here?_ He wondered idly as he glanced up at the circling Samson.

In theory, he was supposed to be looking over the location to see if there was any evidence of the Na'vi attempting to utilize or investigate the technology that they had left behind.

Everyone knew it was a waste of time, just as Grace had known that no one would ever return to the shot-up school house to read the books she left behind, but it was still something to hope for.

Sighing again, he idly opened the prefab and glanced around the interior. Dust already covered everything in a fine layer, and nothing seemed to have been disturbed.

Idly striding in, he grunted with effort to flip the main power breaker, and felt oddly comforted to hear the low rumble of the tiny power-plant coming online. A slight tension he had not even realized he was holding vanished with the noise.

"So strange." he muttered to himself, "To find more comfort in the constant hum of machinery than in all of nature's beauty."

He supposed it was normal, or at least, normal for modern humans. Especially true for him. Whenever he had been the one to go out hunting, he had always wondered if this would be the time he did not return. Always felt unnerved by the sounds and movement of the trees around him, always glad to return to the quiet hum of machinery, knowing that here, at least, he did not have to watch his back. Did not have to have eyes in the back of his head, could relax, eat, laugh, be merry for a time.

Sitting in his old chair, he flicked his computer on and watched as it ran through the opening sequence.

Not even sure what he was doing, he logged in and began to flip through old files.

Just as he was about to open some old pictures of the gang, before death had taken its toll, his headset screeched to life, nearly giving him a heart-attack.

"Spellman! Get outside and prep to get the fuck out of here!" the pilot bellowed, the whine of turbines being forced to full power in the background nearly as loud as the man's voice.

_Military pilots don't panic unless it's for a damned good reason._ Not even bothering to turn off the computer or the power, he leaped to his feet and hurriedly bolted out the open airlock, glancing skyward as he did.

The cries of _ikran_ were interspersed with the roaring of the Samson.

He felt his jaw drop as the Samson tried to push down to land, only to break off as the Na'vi war-mounts crowded underneath of it, the warriors raising spears near the turbines, and the pilot instantly hurling more power into the engines to break off before anything could get caught up in the turbines.

Stomach churning, he watched the pilot once more try and force his way down. The door gunners were filling the comms with swearing and cursing, demanding permission to fire only for the pilot to shout them down.

He was suddenly very glad that Thomes had yet to change the standing orders from 'do not fire until fired upon'.

"Do not fire! Get out of here!" he shouted into his throat mic, "I'll be fine, don't start a war!"

The Samson pulled into a tight bank, roaring off from the clearing, the pilot's voice coming across, "Doc, we are _not _ leaving you here!"

"I'll be fine!" he shouted, even as he glanced the circling _ikran_, and fervently hoping that what he was saying was true, and adding a lie, "I recognize some of them, get out of here before you or they start shooting!"

The pilot swore again, "I'll pull back to a klick and call for a flight to back us up, I'm not pulling back farther than that, and if they attack you, I'm going to kill them all."

Knowing that that was as good as he was going to get, he listened as the gunship roared off, the drone weakening.

Gulping he glanced up at the _ikran_, particularly the red-tinged one as it dove down, landing with a roar directly in front of him. Trying not to show how terrified he was, he greeted Tsu'tey as he dismounted from the beast.

The youth glared at him, "_What are you doing here?_"

"_Checking upon my old home._" he spread his hands, trying to stay calm, "_Seeing if there was anything that I forgot to bring with and if any of the People had shown interest in the place._"

"_As if any member of the people would defile themselves so!_" Tsu'tey spat.

"_I was just checking,_" he said, tone placating, "_And I was not intending to stay long, though you do seem to have driven off those who were to take me from here._"

That earned him another glare, "_You should have known better than to bring machines to our territory."_

He blinked disbelievingly at him, "_This? This isn't your territory, it's well outside of it!"_

"_Things change._ _The machines of your kind are no longer welcome in this area. Neither are you._"

A tinge of anger ran through his voice, "_Despite all I did to save the lives of your kin?_" he snapped.

Tsu'tey's expression became murderous, only for the screech of yet another _ikran_ interrupt him. The young warrior hissed softly as yet another warrior joined them, this one diving through the circling group, scattering them with annoyed shrieks from the flying mounts, and winging to a landing nearby.

He recognized Pey'ral instantly, the tall woman striding rapidly from her mount and glaring viciously at Tsu'tey.

"_What are you doing Tsu'ety! Antagonize the sky people in the open like this, do you want_ _them to kill you?_" she tore into him instantly, then catching site of Norm and her already dark expression became one of a thundercloud about to burst, "_And yet further, you do so to a friend of the clan, of your father! Your namesake and grandfather would be disgusted with you! Be gone from here, now!"_

The young warrior's ears were flicked back, tail thrashing as the verbal barrage continued, he opened his mouth to speak, only for the woman to cut him off, "_No, no words, you disgust me and you shame our clan. Leave now, I shall leave your punishment to your father. He will be bare more lenient than I!_"

He watched as she tossed her head upwards and shouted orders to the circling _ikran_, profanity mixing with commands. The younger warriors glanced at one another before slowly banking away, making for the _kelutral_, Tsu'tey hissing to himself, tail thrashing as he mounted his _ikran_ and took to the air.

"_Thank you._" he said quietly, Pey'ral having not moved from her spot, still glaring at the retreating figures.

He had to repeat it, more loudly, before she seemed to remember that he was there.

"_You should not have to thank me, he and they should have known better._" she muttered, tail thrashing angrily, and he winced as it slapped his arm lightly.

"_Sorry._" she sounded embarrassed, and her tail stilled behind her.

"_Don't worry about it."_ he glanced up at the retreating figures, "_Things been that bad at the home-tree?"_

"_That is.. accurate."_ she sighed, "_Though this is new. The meeting is soon, and I fly there tonight. I have no doubts that he is attempting to gather as much support as he can before it begins, and that this.. stunt, was part of some plan to impress his friends. Or that young fool he wishes to mate. Either way, it is taxing."_

A small smile came across his face, "_Young men seem to have that in common, whatever species they are._"

She snorted lightly, "_Somehow that does not surprise me."_

Feeling his smile widen, he was about to continue the lighter banter when his earpiece crackled to life again, "Doctor Spellman, the Na'vi are moving off, are you all right?"

Raising a hand to his throat, he turned on the mic as Pey'ral blinked at him, "Yes, I'm fine. One of the older warriors arrived and helped me out. Just some young kids looking to impress their girls, nothing to worry about."

"Oy fucking vey." the pilot ground out, "We're on our way back. Are you ready to leave?"

"Actually I would like to stay and speak with her a bit longer, you can hold back for now." he replied, glancing at the Na'vi woman who was waiting patiently for him to finish, "Go ahead and set down to save fuel."

The pilot acknowledged and cut the channel, the slight hum of the Samson beginning to fill the air.

"_That was the pilot of the Samson that brought me here, making sure I was still alive."_ he explained, "_They're going to come back and settle down until I'm ready to leave."_

Her ears flicked once and she tilted her head, "_You are not leaving at once?_"

"_I was hoping to talk with you about what's going on first._" he admitted, "_If that is all right."_

The hunter seemed to consider that for a moment before nodding, "_Very well._" she glanced at the prefab and frowned, "_And I have questions as well. What is that thing?_"

* * *

**Date**: 9:11 AM, September 9h, 2174

**Location**: Camp Augustine, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

"_That is where we lived when we were here._" the small _toktor_ explained, as Pey'ral peered at the odd machine.

Part of her questioned why she was even bothering to ask about _tawtute_ things, only for her mind to answer its own question: it was far better to think about than what had just occurred. There would be far too much time as it was to let anger and worry gnaw at her as it was, she might as well delay it for a time.

_Besides, their machines are so strange. Perhaps it would not be amiss to discover at least the basics behind how they function, and what each one does._ The memory of nearly slaying herself with a _tawtute_ weapon in the tunnels flashed through her mind, _Not least of all the difference between what is a weapon, and what is not._

"_You lived within such a small space?_" she asked, pushing her thoughts away and frowning at the metal.

"_It's bigger than it looks."_ he sounded defensive, "_At least, for us. Did you want to go inside?_"

She turned her frown to him, "_Will I fit within?_"

"_You'll have to be a bit careful, but yes you can._" he sounded.. cheerful.

Blinking a bit at his odd change, she followed him to the, _what did they call it?_ 'Shack', wrinkling her nose as the metallic scent met her. There were more smells, underlying it. Ones that she had no reference for.

Very carefully stooping over, she froze before moving into the enclosed space, the dim glow of blue lighting ahead of her.

Norm'spellman, as though sensing she stopped, turned and blinked at her.

She licked her lips, feeling her heart hammering within her chest. "_Could... could.._" she gulped softly, unable to tear her eyes away from the dim light, _"Can the light.. be a different.. color?_"

Still looking confusedly at her, he nodded and pushed a very small pad, the lights slowly brightening into a brilliant white.

The space still seemed to press down upon her, but the memories seemed to be remaining within the vault of her mind at least. Praying silently to Eywa that they would remain locked deep within her, she carefully entered the metal box.

It was filled with strange machines and devices, blinking lights covered many of the walls, and the odd background humming that always seemed to accompany _tawtute_ things had become louder.

_Might as well begin with that. "What is that noise?_" she carefully settled herself down, sitting on the cold floor, taking care not to strike any of the machines with her large body.

"_The humming? That's the machine that gives energy to the other machines." _he explained.

She frowned and glanced around again. "_Why was the light blue before?_" Another question for her memory.

"_Blue lights are easy on our eyes when it is very dark."_ he explained, still seeming cheerful.

That went on for some time, long enough that she saw the other _tawtute_, the ones from the landed flying machine, pacing near their metal beast as they awaited the _toktor_'s return.

Eventually, as the sun seemed to reach it's zenith, their discussions began to change in focus from the strange machines to comparisons between _tawtute _and the people.

They had moved outside, and she felt far more at ease outside of the structure. Part of her resented the weakness, the rest was too terrified of the encroaching memories of screams and darkness to care.

"_We can't connect to the world around us like you can."_ he was saying quietly, answering her question about their lack of _tswin_. "_On our world, everything is always competing, changing, trying to be better than everything around it. We.. just happened to be the best at it. Able to change and adapt rapidly, rather than over tens of thousands of years._"

She frowned slightly, gazing at the machine and the three lounging 'humans' near it. "_You call yourselves '_humans'_. What does it mean?"_

"_It's a much faster way of saying Homo Sapiens, that's in a very very old language. It basically means 'thinking people'_. _Or 'wise people'_."

"_Wise?_" she snorted and laughed quietly, "_The Thinking People makes far more sense. You all think far too much, though few have gained any wisdom._"

He smiled ruefully up at her, "_True enough, I fear."_

She glanced once more at the sun and sighed softly, "_I must leave now, Norm'spellman. I must be at the site of the great meeting by nightfall._"

The _tawtute_.. the human, sighed and rose, "_And I am sure that our leader is waiting impatiently to scream at me for sending my own escort away."_

"_It was_ _a rather foolish thing to do._" she pointed out as she stood and whistled for her _ikran_.

He grumbled something in _inglisi_, and shouted to the others who activated their flying machine, the loud roar of the machine beginning to fill the air.

Sighing irritably at the noise, she made the bond with her mount and shouted her goodbye to the _toktor, _before slowly winging to the air.

_The Olo'eyktan is right,_ she mused as she slowly began to make her way towards the great tree, _they truly cannot see, yet do not seem to be crippled by such a lack. And despite it all, perhaps a few are even pleasant to speak with._

_

* * *

_

Next up is Chapter 6: Spiritual Debates

And here is the next chapter for you, with yet more build-up being seen. I know the pace seems a bit slow, but things will start picking up soon with the next chapter being the meeting, which should last through two chapters. After that it's one more, before we have our first interlude and we'll finally be going back to Terra and seeing what's up on the human homeworld.

To be honest, this chapter was a pain to write. Suffered severely from writers block as well as having to resist the urge to massively step up the pace (finished the outline for the full story, so now i'm impatient to get the parts I particularly want to write).

Hope everyone is still enjoying and is liking that the chapters are much longer than Victoria's. Bouncing from POV to POV is letting me get a lot more out for each chapter, i'm really liking having the various characters to work with. Pey'ral in particular is becoming a fav.

**For the love of god, please review! I like them so, yet never see enough!**

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**Review Responses:**

~AndrewRus: Here's some of what you were looking for, and remember we're still in Act 1 of a planned 4, there's still plenty of time ahead of us. And again, any conflict that will occur won't be anything like victoria's.

~thecrimsontag: only one day late, sorry. Would have been out yesterday save for the writer's block.


	7. Chapter 6: Spiritual Debates

Perhaps I should resume placing disclaimers.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Spiritual Debates**

**Date**: 9:32 AM, September 10th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Maria Thomes groaned loudly and irritatedly, opening an eye to glare at her insistently beeping headset on the stand next to her bunk.

Her companion also groaned, and she idly elbowed him sharpy as she grabbed the earpiece and slid it into place.

"Thomes here." she managed to get out.

"Commander, there is a situation with Doctor Spellman at his former camp." the communications officer reported. The other woman's voice was brisk as she proceeded to outline what had happened.

With another groan, she heaved her nude form into a sitting position and held her head in one hand.

_Why always in the mornings..._"The situation is currently under control?"

"At the moment ma'am."

"Very well. If there is any change, let me know. I will be up to the command center shortly."

"Understood ma'am." There was a slight pause, "Administrator Selfridge is not answering in his quarters, should I send someone there?"

The other woman's voice betrayed that she knew _exactly_ where Parker was, almost causing Maria to groan aloud again.

"That is.. unnecessary, his quarters are near mine, I can handle it."

"Very well Commander."

She waited until she was sure that the headset was off before she _did_ let out a groan.

_So, the whole base knows then. Great. Well, it isn't as though we're alone. _Of that she was sure. Though the men to women ratio on the bases was roughly four to one, there were enough rumors, open displays, and uncovered displays of affection and encounters for her and the other senior staff to confirm that almost all of the women were 'taken'.

_Human nature hard at work_. She almost laughed to herself as she rose to move into her bathroom to shower, fully aware of Parker watching her rather intently.

Entertaining the notion of inviting him with her for a moment, she dismissed it almost as quickly as the whim had come.

_Business first._ "Get dressed," she called through a yawn, "Spellman did something reckless and we're going to have to be there to berate him."

The male behind her gave a disappointed sounding sigh before she heard him shuffling around for his clothing.

Smiling in a self-satisfied fashion, she set the water to 'boiling' and relaxed as it started up and washed over her.

"What did the egghead do?" she heard Parker's voice through the water.

"Got accosted by a bunch of natives, sent the Samson and his guard's away to handle it himself. Moron is lucky he didn't get killed." she called back as she washed.

"He managed to talk his way out of it?" his voice was much closer now, and she saw him fixing his tie through the glass.

"Sort of. That native huntress who beat up the idiot a few days ago helped him out apparently." she responded, finishing up.

Opening the door and toweling off, she smirked again as she noticed Parker continuously failing to properly fix his tie, his eyes being drawn like magnets to her body, which was something she didn't mind at all.

He did a good job of maintaining their professional relationship outside of their respective quarters, but as soon as they were alone, he suddenly had a difficult time keeping his eyes off of her, and an impossible time if she wasn't clothed.

Still smirking a bit, she toweled off and started dressing, speaking as she did so, "Still, he shouldn't have sent them away. And the pilot shouldn't have let him do it."

Parker leaned against the doorway and frowned slightly, "What are you going to hit them with?"

"Probably a week or two confined to quarters when off-duty for the both of them." she grunted as her arms pulled her uniform top over her head and onto place.

Her lover tilted his head and frowned, "They'll miss the final game of the season week after next. Harsh."

She shrugged, "The pilot should have known better. Spellman might be an airhead, but he's a useful one, and more importantly, he's one of us. And we also need to start drilling into the good doctor's head that he is _not_ dispensable to us."

"Still." Parker was frowning and she glared at him.

She knew that expression. He was about to come up with something that would be more lenient and he'd find someway to convince her to do it.

"Give them one week of confined to quarters, and give them to me for two days after. I'm sure that there is something unpleasant I can make them clean for that long." he kept his tone even and reasonable.

She continued to glare at him.

"Come now, surely spending two days on cleanup duty on base is bound to be worse than another week off, and it makes you look a bit less like an ice-queen." he gave her a slight smile.

"You know I don't care about that." she snapped, irritatedly brushing her hair into place. "Four days of cleaning, at least one of which is KP duty all day."

"Very gracious yet harsh of you." he gave her another slight smile.

Maria snorted, "Get out of here and to the Ops Center. I'll meet you up there."

Parker smiled and vanished out into the main room, and she heard the main door opening and shutting.

She felt the smile slowly fall of her face as he left, mentally running through what she had to do today, and fervently _not_ thinking about what happened between him and her last night. Not that it wasn't pleasant to remember, but rather because she was still struggling with the exact reasons for _why_ she was sleeping with Parker Selfridge of all people.

_Let's see.. have to be sure to speak with the good doctor and his guards when they arrive. _She wracked her mind, knowing that there was something else she had to do this morning. _Something to do with.. ah. Yes. I have to talk with Malcolm and see how everything is progressing aboard the Hope._

With a slight sigh, she finished her grooming and killed the lights in her quarters before ducking into the hallway and making her way to the staircase that led to the tunnel system.

Traffic was light, given that most of the on-base staff were currently on shift or still at breakfast, and it did not take her long at all to reach the base's command center.

Parker was already sequestered away in his office, and by the slightly glazed look on his face was already started on his morning paperwork.

Snorting, she made her way over to the communications section and took the only empty seat, re-affixing her earpiece and inputting the commands to open a channel to the _Explorer's Hope_.

It didn't take long for the officer on the _Hope_ to relay her to the ship's Captain, and his gruff voice filled her earpiece, "Commander, good morning."

"Captain Malcolm." she returned the pleasantries, "Just calling for the status update on the _Hope_."

"Nothing much to report." she could almost hear the shrug in his voice, "We're still on station above Hell's Gate, still can pick out the _Dream_ on our telescopes. Nothing major being detected below us, and our remote Valkyrie is currently skimming Polyphemus for deuterium."

"How are the offloading and conversions progressing?"

"Slowly. Still getting the rest of your supplies out of our hold and into the other Valkyrie. Probably take another month to get it all down to you, then we get to start worrying about making sure that all of our equipment and sections are locked down and ready for an in-system burn."

Turning the conversation to technical matters regarding the conversion, she spoke with the other ship captain for nearly three hours before finally signing off.

Her stomach rumbling, she rose to head to the cafeteria, just in time to see a Samson slowly passing by the massive windows, angling for a landing on the main pad.

_Food first, berate scientist and his bodyguards after._

_

* * *

_

**Date**: 12:01 PM, September 10th, 2174

**Location**: Tree of Souls, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

"Let this great meeting of the spiritual leaders of the people, only the second ever such called before Eywa, begin!" Mo'at called out from her perch atop a rock.

The turn-out had proven to be far larger than she had imagined it would be, and far larger than even her daughter had guessed. Tsahik from nearly every clan and tribe, both large and small, that had fought in the great battle had arrived.

A few of the far-off clans, from beyond the great northern plains, had even sent representatives, though not their Tsahik, to witness the event.

Nearly forty of her equals stood or sat in the broad semi-circle of the bowl, all had ceased their quiet conversations with each other, turning their eyes towards her, and she allowed herself a quiet pause to take in the environment around her.

_Ikran_ and their riders lazily circled overhead, and she could hear the quiet rustling of _pa'li _riders circling the area, the warriors and hunters from all of the assembled clans making sure that none who did not have permission attempted to enter the area.

_And to make sure that the sky people do not take this moment to cause us even more pain. Though what a handful of warriors could do against their horrible might, beyond die as heroes, I do not know._

Clearing her throat quietly, she began to speak, "_I have called this meeting to discuss what is once more upon us. There can be no doubts at all that the Great Mother is once more sending to us dreams and nightmares of death and fire, of the cold metal of the Sky People slaying all before them. What is more, I learned shortly before I left for this meeting that she has once more began to strike at them, and that they have once more struck back. Toruk and nantang slew several of their warriors, and they in turn slew all they could find where their warriors died."_

"_That is not how I heard the tale told_," a much younger woman's voice rose with her body, "_From the tale told to us by your clans own scouts, it was the sky people who slew the creatures without provocation, and that any warriors of theirs that were slain died as they fought back against the aliens."_

She carefully kept her face neutral as she listened to the younger _Tsahik,_ ignoring the rumbles of agreement and anger from many of the other young matriarchs, and a few of the older ones as well. She was not surprised that differences along age-lines were already making themselves present, what worried her far more was that the younger woman had felt confident enough to challenge her in the opening moments.

"_Are you claiming that the leader of the Omaticaya, the clan that has suffered far more than any other at the hands of the aliens, whose own daughter still bears that scars of their weapons, is fake? That she speaks untruths to us?_" the _Tsahik_ from the Eastern Sea Clan, had risen, the red body-paint giving her fierce expression even more power as she glared at the other.

The younger woman's spots brightened as she flushed, "_No, of course not. I merely wish to say that there is more than one tale being told, and perhaps she heard the incorrect version._"

A snort from the red-painted warrior _Tsahik_, "_As it was Omaticaya scouts who found the burning trail, and Omaticaya scouts who reported it, no doubt to their own Tsahik first and foremost, I find it difficult to believe that she does not have the proper events."_

This was answered by yet another younger _Tsahik_, "_Yet how much of her information came not from her own scouts, but from the aliens themselves? They once had many dreamwalkers living amongst them, and I have heard that they still speak with the sky people. Perhaps the sky people told her the untruths."_

At this, every eye had turned to gaze at Mo'at. "_Our scouts reported only that the sky people had begun to slay any predator that lived between their two bases, and that one of their Shah-tell was dragging the metal corpses of two of their kunsips. Our Olo'eyktan spoke with Toktor Patel, who lived here and taught us much of the sky people even after the rest of his kin were exiled, and he told us what he knew._"

Her short speech brought a mixed response. Several shook their heads slowly, glancing at one another and muttering, others merely shrugged.

Far more were muttering and shaking their heads, tails curling in agitation, than Mo'at would have wished to see, however.

The other young _Tsahik_ spoke once more, "_Perhaps it is as the sky people claim. Perhaps it is as the scouts claim. Perhaps it is both. What is clear, however, and what the aliens have done. They have once more begun to cause Eywa great pain, and slain many creatures that should have hunted and lived upon her for many seasons more, all in their pursuit of a stone."_

And with that, the arguments really began, the Great Meeting dissolved into a dozen smaller arguments and debates creating an overwhelming chorus of noise within the earthy bowl.

She gave a soft sigh and settled down onto the stone beneath her, relaxing her body as best she could as she listened to the various _Tsahik_. Things had broken down mostly along age lines it seemed, with the younger _Tsahik, _forced to step up to their roles after their mothers were slain in the Great Battle, eager to once more answer Eywa's call, while their elders, who had survived that battle, were in no great hurry to once more clash with the _tawtute_.

That the meeting had become numerous small debates was not unanticipated at least. There was no tradition for this form of meeting, nothing to fall back on. And though she had been the one to call them all here, and to begin the event, she did not truly have any authority over the others.

Beads jingled softly as the red-painted woman moved up and elegantly took a seat beside her.

Mo'at rather liked the younger _Tsahik_, not least of all because she managed to be both _Tsahik_ and _Olo'eyktan _for her tribe, skillfully managing both roles with ease. That she was, apparently, one of the few younger members of the gathering that was against Eywa's apparent wishes, also quite helped.

The two sat quietly, each letting their ears twitch in time with the rising and falling voices, glancing at any group that became particularly loud.

"_I fear that this meeting will not cause what you wish for it too._" The painted woman spoke quietly.

Mo'at glanced aside at her, "_It has only just begun, many minds may yet be swayed."_

"_Perhaps.. but doubtful."_ came the almost sorrowful reply. "_My clan does not have the strength to make war, even if we desired to. But so many of these young warriors... they truly believe in Eywa."_

She whipped her head to her left, staring openly at the younger woman. "_And you do not sister!_"

The other _Tsahik_ spoke very slowly, very carefully. "_I believe that Eywa is acting in the best interests of preserving life. But I believe that her own life has come to the forefront of her great mind, and she has lost her connection to the people. That she values the lives of the trees and the animals more than her children." _

Mo'at remained quiet as the other woman continued to speak, "_I speak this only to you, for even the others who are against war may view it as heresy, or that my clan has become tainted by the aliens. But.. I fought against the sky people twice. My mate lays dead before this very place, and my children lay slain before the new home of the sky people. For every four of us that answered her call, one returned to our caves and homes. Our clan would not survive yet another call.. if she does, we will not answer."_

She listened to the younger woman, feeling a tinge of despair rushing into her bones, like a flood long held back now released.

She bowed her own head, and spoke just as quietly, "_The sky people have a term, something that Max'Patel taught us. '_Civil War'_. It is the most horrible form of war, even to those who do battle nearly every day of every season. A war where brother fights sister, father fights son, and clans tear themselves asunder. The sky people fear that this will happen to us. That those who wish to fight them will do so.. and that we who do not wish to will oppose them._"

"_A full war.. of the people fighting one another.._" her companion tilted her head back, "_The fourth time of great sorrow was the last of the battles of old. And now the aliens believe it is going to happen again. Are things so divided within your clan? Within other clans?_"

"_They are. Our clan did not suffer as yours did. Jake'sully kept many of our youngest and eldest warriors at our home, he did not believe, as Eywa did, that we would drive them forth again."_ she glanced around as she spoke, noticing that the debates had begun to wind down, those _Tsahik_ that agreed with one another slowly convening to speak with allies rather than opponents. The group of _Tsahik_ centered around the two young women who had spoken earlier, was nearly the size of those who had supported Mo'at. "_And there may yet be clans that choose to follow Eywa's will entirely."_

"_And what of you, Mo'at?" _her companion turned her gaze to her, "_Do you still believe in our goddess, or is your faith as shaken as mine? Do you truly believe that you will be forced to set your warriors upon your own kin?_"

She didn't know the answers to those questions, and that terrified the matriarch more than the sight of any _tawtute_ machine ever had.

* * *

**Date**: 11:34 PM, September 12th, 2174

**Location**: _Omaticaya Kelutral_, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Tsu'tey went for his knife as he suddenly awoke, only to abruptly stop as Ean'atane's face became clear in the dim light.

"_What are you doing here so late?_" he managed to get out groggily, his heart hammering slightly at the sight of her within his own sleeping cove.

She smirked at him, "_Already forgot that I have been gone for many nights now it seems. Come, I bring news of the aliens home!"_

That awoke him fully, and he grinned fiercely as she darted down the various branches within the tree, heading for the surface far below.

Swiftly following, he saw others that she had already awoken moving down with him, and they in turn were carefully awaking others still. Far more than their small group was already moving, including many faces he recognized as those who had been neutral between his father and himself.

His grin threatening to crack his cheeks, he eagerly raced as fast as he could downwards, carefully rushing into own of the small alcoves within the roots of the tree after _Ean'atane._

Her own grin covered her face as the pair watched warriors and hunters carefully pile into the room, taking seats or positions along the wall.

Glancing around, he seized a small stick from the ground and quietly gave the huntress instructions, to which she nodded eagerly and took the stick before kneeling and beginning to draw upon the ground. It took a short time more before the last hunter glanced around out into the tree proper and nodded to him.

Clearing his throat, he began to speak, "_I see you all. Ean'atane, at my request, left many nights ago on a very difficult journey.. to the home of the sky people. As my father as always taught us, we need to know our enemy, before we may strike him."_

That earned him slight nods of approval from the older, more mature warriors, and grins of excitement from the youngsters.

He gestured to the woman he desired, and she grinned slightly as she pointed to the drawing in the dirt, the other warriors crowding in to look.

"_I wasn't able to get near their old home, where the Toktors are staying. They have many kunsips flying between the two places." _she gestured sharply with the stick, "_Their main home is very well protected by machines and aliens, and it will be very hard to attack."_ Another gesture, "_As will this _mine _here. However,"_ she grinned wider, "_The defenses here, around this other _mine, _are very weak. It looked like they were moving most of their machines to the other one, along with most of the guards."_

Quiet conversation quickly broke out, numerous voices carrying over one another.

"_This is perfect!" _

"_No, it has to be a trap!"_

"_We must strike the aliens in their hearts!"_

"_We are the hunters, it is we who will spring the trap, not the prey!"_

"_Quiet!_" Tsu'tey hissed as loudly as he dared, and everyone fell silent, and he glanced once more at Ean'atane.

"_Their largest digging machine, the one the size of trees, is there. I will agree, that it is strange that it bears so little defenses, and that it may be a trap. But trap or no, if we can destroy that unholy thing, it will cripple them for many many seasons." _she argued softly, "_And for a trap to work, we must not be aware that it is a trap. The aliens think we are stupid, ignorant. Let us show them that for all their vaunted knowledge, it is we who truly See the world!"_

Everyone was nodding with her, and Tsu'tey felt his heart beating wildly once more. "_We must move carefully, and we must have more than we nineteen warriors. When the Great Meeting ends, my grandmother told me that many of the Tsahik intend to visit our clan. We must speak with them and the warriors with them, convince them to aid us in striking the demons."_

One of the older hunters spoke quietly, "_Pey'ral and Jake'sully will not be pleased with this. As much as it galls to hide in the shadows, we must hunt carefully. Let them realize that the clan sides with you, Tsu'tey, and with Eywa."_

He nodded, "_I agree. I dislike hiding things from my father.. but here we must. Let us meet at this time tomorrow, so that we might plan on who to speak with the following morning when the matriarchs arrive._"

Ean'atane spoke quietly when he finished, "_For now, let us plan on how we might strike at the aliens."_

Several of the more experienced hunters, three of whom had fought them before, carefully moved forwards and squatted down near the drawing in the dirt.

"_We will have to strike swiftly, lest they swarm us with kunsips and trap us between their machines and those of their warriors within the_ mine _itself."_ one of them gestured slowly with the stick, pointing at the distance between the mine and the alien's main base.

"_And our ikran must fly low. Very low. Their machines picked us out easily when we flew high._" another interjected, "_Their kunsips slew many before we could even see them._"

"_So move slowly, along the trees, and mount most of our number upon pa'li._" Tsu'tey accepted the stick and began to draw out how he wanted to attack.

It took a great deal of time, and a great deal of quiet arguing, before everyone accepted the plan, as rough as it was.

"_We will work more upon our plan as soon as we know how many of the other clans will join us. Now go and get some sleep, lest my father decide that there is some form of party happening every night under his nose."_ he finished with a slight grin.

The group slowly filled out of the room, many still speaking quietly with one another as they made their way back to their sleeping hammocks or alcoves.

Tsu'tey was about to head out as well, before he felt a hand wrap around his arm and drag him back into the room. He had a brief glimpse of Ean'atane's face very close to his before he felt her lips press against his, and then everything was warmth and sensation.

* * *

**Date**: 9:07 PM, September 13th, 2174

**Location**: Hell's Gate, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

"News from the meeting isn't good so far guys." John's voice came through the radio, his voice tired. "One of the guard's just got back this morning. Seems like it's mostly dissolving into arguments between the pro-war and anti-war camps. Mo'at hasn't had much success convincing people, it seems like a lot of the _tsahik _are starting to equate faith with Eywa with obeying her wishes."

Norm gaped at the radio, "They're accusing her of heresy?"

"Not quite. They're more accusing her of being too old and behind the times. But.. we don't know what happened yesterday or what's going to happen today." John clarified. "Also.. there's the added problem of what to do if the hawk group decides to go ahead and attack anyway. A few of the _Tsahik_ think that it's going to break out into conflict between the Na'vi, but most of the others aren't even willing to contemplate it."

Next to him, Max groaned and rose a hand to his eyes. "This is just great." his friend muttered.

"Sorry I don't have better news guys. I'll give you a call tomorrow night when Mo'at gets back and let you know what all went down." the radio cut out and the two scientists both sat, slumped in a mutual state of mild depression.

He sighed and tilted his head back, "So.. looks like appealing to the wisdom of the assembled _tsahik _isn't accomplish much besides give both sides a chance to organize and start to draw the lines in the sand."

Max groaned yet again and nodded, "Add in that there might not only be fighting amongst the clans, but fighting _within _the clans, and you have a situation going nowhere good fast."

Both sat in contemplation, gazing at the now silent computer station.

His friend spoke after a moment, voice quiet, but tone certain, "It's going to happen Norm. The pro-war group is going to try and attack us.. and Jake is going to try and stop his own son. It'll tear him apart to do it, but fighting is going to break out. Then.. if the pro-war group wins, they'll attack, and get annihilated. If the anti-war group wins, the pro-war group isn't just going to give up.. this could turn into a very long, drawn out struggle between the Na'vi."

"It's been centuries since they've fought that kind of war. Maybe a millenia." he shook his head, "And hell, Thomes and the military would be beside themselves with excitement. Their enemies fighting against each other...shit."

"Assuming they don't intervene." Max pointed out, rising and digging through his desk. "That sounds like something that she would do. Let the fighting start then jump in with guns blazing against Tsu'tey and the others, wipe them out as fast and bloodily as she can."

It was his turn to groan, though he smiled slightly when Max straightened up with a bottle and a pair of glasses.

"Vodka, from the last supply run. Won it in a bet over that last match." his friend explained as he poured.

Norm snorted, "You actually thought the _Dream _crew would win?"

"It was on a whim," Max confessed with a small smile, settling down into his chair, handing Norm a glass.

The pair clinked their glasses before drinking quickly, and Norm coughed slightly and shook his head a bit as the alcohol burned down his throat.

"So," his friend poured him another, "Next week or two will be exciting around here."

"Not the word I would choose." he replied, "I'd go with hectic. Maybe chaotic."

Max chuckled, "For us, hectic and chaotic work. For Thomes, Theodas, Selfridge, it'll be exciting."

"No mentioning of the boss and her crew while we're drinking." Norm shot back good naturedly.

"Even if I have the latest on their love lives?" Max grinned lightly.

That got his attention, "it's actually true?"

"Oh yeah, the ice queen is sleeping with the corporate sellout. Rumor is that Theodas is trying to get in with that comms officer, whats-her-name." Max confided with a chuckle.

"Always good to know. Thought she looked a bit more lively than usual when she was screaming at me about the whole camp thing."

"Well, punishment isn't that bad at least." Max pointed out philosophically, "And it probably wasn't the brightest thing to send the guards away. You didn't even know they were _Omaticaya._"

"Ya..." he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, "I got enough from her dude, and being confined to Hell's Gate with nothing but kitchen work and cleaning to look forward to this weekend isn't making me feel any better about life."

Max laughed, and so the conversation about how grim the future was slowly lessened by gossip and good natured debate that lasted several hours before the two drunken geniuses slowly tottered and swayed their way to their link-beds turned actual beds, and collapsed, neither one spending a moment to give a thought to the morning that would come far too soon.

* * *

Next up is Chapter 7: Cries of War

So... ya. Suffice to say: If it could go wrong the last few weeks, it has, and let's leave it at that, shall we? I _will _resume my normal posting speed, starting now, promise.

Anyways, here is the next chapter, and as many of you guessed, the meeting isn't going well, and may even be going in the complete opposite direction from what mo'at wanted. In the next chapter, we'll see just how badly it has gone, as well as what is going to happen in response to its events.

I love all of the reviews that I've gotten, please please keep them coming guys and gals!

**Review, thou art commanded!**


	8. Chapter 7: Cries of War

I don't own Avatar. Still wish I did though, could use the royalty money.

* * *

**Chapter 7: Cries of War**

**Date**: 10:34 AM, September 15th, 2174

**Location: **Tree of Souls, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

_The world was in flames. Smoke enshrouded everything, filled her nose with it's acrid sent, caused her lungs to burn. _

_Screaming was in the distance, the horrific cries of those succumbing to fire._

_She struggled to reach the voices, only to find her limbs weighted down by metal vines, their pull holding her back even as she strained to move her body forwards. _

_Harsh laughter, tawtute laughter, echoed through the burning woods, freezing her blood._

_Carefully, Mo'at glanced around her, and suddenly she could see them. Their pale skin almost glowed in the fire's light, and she could see skeletal grins upon their slender faces as they once more laughed even as their weapons spewed yet more fire into the wild. _

_Struggling once more to escape, she tore her eyes from the aliens and fought with all her strength to move away._

_The tawtute's laughter increased as they watched her fight and whimper._

_A light blue figure blurred before her and she gasped as a young Na'vi child raced through the trees to her._

_Her voice felt raw as she called out, begging Sylwannin to flee, for her granddaughter to leave her._

_The young child, not hearing, perhaps ignoring, was within a few tail lengths of her when her chest exploded in blood, the roar of a tawtute weapon filling the air._

_Screaming with fear, she desperately reached out, trying to reach her._

_A tawtute appeared, slowly raising a foot and placing it upon the young girl's bloody chest, grinning madly at her scream of agony, raising a weapon and aiming it at her._

_She could only watch and scream as liquid fire roared downwards over her granddaughter, and she felt her throat tear in rage and agony as her greatest pride and joy was horrifically burned alive before her._

_Her body began to shake violently, and she kicked and struggled all the more as the alien abomination laughed and turned its gaze to her._

_She had to fight, she had to get to her! She had to!_

_The shaking increased, and she felt her throat in agony as she screamed once more, before a blue hand appeared from nothing and struck her sharply across the face_.

A quiet yelp of agony caused her eyes to flash open, her body to arch into a seated position.

Pey'ral gazed down upon her, real fear upon her face and in her posture as the young warrior struggled to hold Mo'at's struggling limbs in place.

Realization washed over her, and she choked off a sob, letting herself go limp.

_It was a dream. Just a dream. Just a dream._

"_Water_.._ please_.." she managed to gasp out, wincing at the feeling of her throat.

The huntress nodded once and darted off, tail thrashing madly with worry as she did so.

For her part, the matriarch struggled to maintain her breathing, to push the images out and away from her mind, wishing with all of her heart that she could banish them from her memory forever.

The image of her beautiful granddaughter face melting beneath the stream of fire appeared once more within her mind's eye, and she immediately turned to her side and retched upon the ground.

Curling into a ball, she whimpered softly, remaining unmoving until she felt strong arms gently pulling her once more into a seated position, and the cool mouth of a water-skin being pressed gently to her lips.

Sipping as carefully as she could, she nodded gratefully to the huntress gazing worriedly at her.

"_Eywa sent you a vision_." it was a statement, not a question.

She nodded slowly, trying to let her senses and mind return to her. _Think upon things other than that which you have seen, or it will drive you as insane as the sky people. _

Her ears pricked, and she tilted her head slowly.

Soft cries filled the air, occasionally being pierced by a scream.

"_She has sent all of the matriarchs visions_." the huntress stated quietly, her gaze turning worriedly outwards.

Nodding silently, she struggled to stand, swaying and nearly falling.

Without being asked, Pey'ral quietly placed an arm around her, aiding her to walk out of her small alcove and towards the great tree.

Other _tsahik_ were visible, a few were able to walk, more were being supported by their own guides and guardians, all bore traces of horror and grief upon their faces.

More seemed to be still trapped within the dream and vision, their attendees struggling to break them from Eywa's grip.

When they stopped, it took her a moment to realize that Pey'ral had already taken them to the base of the tree, and was gently guiding her to sit.

Gravely thanking the young woman, who remained by her side, she let herself sink down upon the cool stone and roots, letting herself breath the soft sweet scent of the sacred seeds, letting the familiarity calm and relax her tired body and scarred mind.

_You must awaken yourself now, Mo'at. The vision was terrifying, and it has dug its roots deep within your spirit, but you cannot let it dictate what you do, what you see._

Slowly drifting into a near trance, she continued to breath that beautifully sweet scent as she let her mind drift into thoughts.

_The vision was horrible, far worse than any that the Great Mother had sent before. This is the last day of this great meeting, and it can be no coincidence. She seeks to warn us of what the sky people are, what they will do, should we allow them to remain. _

Her heart began to grow heavy.

_She desires them gone so greatly that she would send such a dream.. what few matriarchs were divided upon the issues before us might now support those who desire war, and many of those who supported myself might now have no desire to stand in the way of those who fight the aliens, even if they do not fight themselves._

Slowly opening her eyes, she saw that the rest of her equals were now resting within the shallow bowl, many of their eyes closed as they too allowed the peace of Eywa wash over them.

Her heart began to break as she gazed upon them.

They various _tsahik_ had seated themselves into several groups, the largest of which was centered around the young women that had opposed her.

The other, smaller group sat around the sole standing _tsahik_, Tun'txampay, who alone amongst the _tsahik_ did not carry a haunted look to her eyes. Her friend caught her eye, red painted face utterly serious as she glanced aside at the larger group and shook her head slowly in disgust.

The remainder were scattered, sitting alone or beside friends as they allowed themselves time to come down from the horror that they had no doubt just witnessed within their very dreams.

She fought to keep herself under control, despite the despair that once more ran through her body.

_Talking shall do no more good here, it seems._ _Those who have decided have done so, and their spirits are set upon their courses. Eywa's will is that yet more blood is spilt. Perhaps... perhaps Tun'txampay is right.._

Her heart shattered within her.

Slowly standing with the aid of Pey'ral, she regarded the assembled spiritual leaders before her.

"_You have all seen what the Great Mother wishes you to see, the terror that the sky people can inflict. I have seen enough death and destruction in my long life, and desire to see no more. Those of you that wish to fight them, you may do so. I am not your leader, I cannot stop you. Know only that there are those who believe you to be in err, and that you shall not fly with Toruk'makto in this battle._"

Ignoring the rush of conversation that filled the air, she turned to Pey'ral and spoke quietly, "_I will travel with Tun'txampay and her warriors home. Fly as fast as your ikran may take you and bring the news to Jake'sully._"

* * *

**Date**: 11:21 PM, September 15th, 2174

**Location**: Omaticaya Kelutral, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Jake let his head fall back against the flank of the home-tree and closed his eyes with a groan.

"_There were twice as many tsahik that supported war than those against it, and many who wanted nothing to do with either group._" Pey'ral finished her report, still panting lightly from the exertion of her flight. "_Though I do not know how unified those clans are. It may not be as bad as that._"

He let out another groan and nodded slowly, "_Thank you Pey'ral. Go tell your tale again to _John_, and have him tell Max. Then get some sleep._"

The woman nodded seriously and moved away, tail drooping tiredly behind her as she made her way to the Avatar's alcove where John was no doubt snoozing.

Slowly letting his arms fall behind him, he pushed off from the rough bark and slowly began to wander around its mighty base as his mind lost itself in thought.

"There's going to be another war." he spoke aloud, mildly surprised to do it in English without any real thought.

"_And it's going to be horrible._" he added in Na'vi, smiling lightly to himself as he did so.

_The question here Jake, is what are _you _going to do?_

His soul, that of a Na'vi warrior, that of _Toruk'makto_, told him to fight, to stand by his son, to drive the aliens away.

_The humans exist to conquer, to take. If you don't stand up to them now, show them that it is the Na'vi and Eywa who call the shots, they will do whatever they want until there is nothing left to take. Fight at your son's side, let Toruk'makto fly once more._

His mind, slowly reclaiming itself in the image of a jar-head US marine, told him that he knew a hopeless situation when he saw it.

_They won't sit on the defensive this time, the Na'vi don't have the numbers to force that. The best defense is a good offense.. they'll be on the offensive this time, and they'll burn everything in their path. Get your girls and get them out of there Jake._

It was strange. For so long he had not been forced to deal with his dual heritage, yet now, so many years later, it was rearing its head within his own mind, splitting his soul in two.

_And what of Pey'ral?_

She had become his closest friend, and part of him was rather glad that Na'vi mated for life. If they had been on Earth, the amount of time he spent with the huntress would have sent any human woman into a jealous rage years ago, even though everyone knew that Pey'ral had no interest in males.

The warrior had confided in him, and as far as he knew, him alone, that if it came to war, she would fight.

But not the humans.

She would fight his son, her student. It it came down to it, she would kill him.

He had told her that if such a battle was begun, it was possible that the _tawtute_ would aide her in combat, an alliance of convenience to slay those who opposed them.

"_If that is how it becomes.. then so be it. I do not truly wish to fight beside them, anymore than I wish to fight against Tsu'tey and our young warriors. But if it is that is what it takes to prevent a wider spread of the bloodshed.. then I shall do what I must." _her words echoed despondently in his ears.

Letting his head fall backwards, he stared numbly up into the sky, taking in the unmoving stars and the great blue giant who seemed to gaze balefully down upon its moon, his mind still aching with the pain of his thoughts.

_Neytiri will never leave. She has lost one home-tree already, she will not lose another.. she cannot fight, but she is still the future Tsahik. She will inspire those who do, as Mo'at does to those who oppose it._

It did not feel real to him. It felt like a story being told, or a particularly bad dream, one that he wished with all of his heart to wake up from. He wanted to close his eyes and awaken to a world that the humans had no returned to, a world where he was free to raise his son and daughters with his mate in peace.

Not a world soon to be wreathed in flames, not a world where his best friend might be forced to strike down his only son, not a world where the people he had become one of were hurtling towards death.

Not a world where his love, his soul-mate, was slowly drifting irrevocably away from him.

_And that's what you care the most about Jake.. that Neytiri is the same woman that you fell in love with when Grace and Quaritch sent you out here, but you are still human, and humans change over time, even if they desire with all their being not to. _

He closed his eyes, and let his mind drift through the choices before him.. all reasonable, all terrible.

_Stay.. fight beside Tsu'tey and Eywa, let Toruk'makto once more fly and drive the aliens forth.. you're the only one with the knowledge to give them a chance.._

_Leave.. take the girls with, take everyone who knows what the coming massacre will be like.. flee to the mountains, where there is no unobtanium, where we will be left alone..._

_Fight.. fight beside Pey'ral, stop your son before the humans need involve themselves.. better for a few to be lost, rather than all..._

Slowly tucking his legs underneath of him, the _Olo'eyktan_ slowly sat upon the cool grass, opening his eyes to once more gaze wordlessly upon the stars as his mind and his heart fought to control his soul.

* * *

**Date**: 1:17 PM, September 16th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

She knew that her mouth was hanging open, and a combination of disgust and incredulity was no doubt spread across her face, but Maria Thomes simply couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Sho... like I said," Max Patel, a very, very _drunk _Max Patel, continued his... 'report', "Looks like it's gonna be another war! All the Na'vi are all split apart and ready to fight us, each other, whoever."

Pinching the bridge of her nose with two fingers and closing her eyes, she counted slowly to ten in her mind before asking, "How much have you had to drink doctor?"

"Drink? Oh.. I dunno. Me and Norm might've gone through a few bottles... lost track a bit ago. Did you want to come over, have shome?"

"No." she stabbed a finger forcefully onto the keypad, changing the channel to Hell's Gate control, "How long have they been drinking?" She asked without preamble.

"Few hours ma'am." the young man's voice was somber, "Haven't been able to get them to stop. We confined them to Patel's office an hour ago."

"Make sure they can't call again." she snapped and hung up, trying to will away the rising headache.

_The news is bad enough, as expected as it was, but to hear it from a drunk at one in the afternoon is not how I wanted to go into a full staff meeting. And now it's going to be a staff meeting without either of our blue-skin experts, who are too drunk to even be worth calling in!_ She swore mentally once more.

She glanced over at the communications officer, "Get the senior-staff in here. Don't bother contacting Hell's Gate, the doctors are too drunk to be bothered."

Ignoring the utterly confused stares of the officer and civilian staff in the room, she briskly made her way out of the Ops-Center and headed for the conference room. With all of the military commanders currently 'in the field', and Parker out at the primary mining site, it would take at least an hour for all of them to get back and make their way to the room.

But for her, that was just fine. It gave her some time to sit in darkness and silence to be able to think.

Striding into the dark room, she irritatedly slapped the door control panel and relaxed slightly as the light from the hallway was cut off, leaving her in darkness.

Making her way to her chair through memory, she collapsed easily into the seat as her fingers brushed the cool leather.

Closing her eyes, the headache slowly continued to pound even as she began to marshal her thoughts into order once more.

_The blueskins are splitting apart. Some want to leave us alone. More want to fight us. If Patel being depressed enough to get that smashed just after lunch, it must be by a wide margin. _

Sighing, she rested her head back against the headrest, allowing the soft padding and cool leather to comfort her as best it could.

_Which is narrowing our options. Best case scenario for us is that they split into two camps and start fighting it out. That would give us the option of sitting back and letting them kill each other, or intervening against the pro-war group. Worst case scenario is that the anti-war group doesn't have the stomach for a fight and just goes along with it, in which case we have to launch an immediate pre-emptive strike to eliminate anything that can attack us, which will probably incense the rest of the planet._

Rubbing her forehead with a groan, she slowly began to plot and think as the time slowly ticked by.

The lights flashed on suddenly, and she had to fight the reflex to start, instead forcing herself to be still and open her eyes slowly.

Theodas was blinking at her, Kozlov visible behind him.

Gesturing irritatedly towards the chairs, she watched the two men shake themselves and quietly make their way to their seats.

Silence buzzed softly in the room as the rest of the staff filed in, Parker and Keppler being the last two to arrive and take their seats, glancing around apprehensively at the serious faces around them.

She waited until they had seated themselves to tap her small control panel, shutting and locking the door.

Quietly, almost boredly, she outlined what Patel had 'reported' to her this morning.

"To conclude, we're at the beginning now gents." she finished, "One way or another, someone is going to attack us, probably within the next month."

The faces on the men under her command were largely grim, with the odd exception of Kozlov, who seemed to be going for bored.

It was he who spoke, "We had already guessed that it would come to this, hence our plan to trap them at Site Two, _da_?"

Theodas responded, "Yes, but that is running on the assumption that there is no infighting amongst the blueskins, and that the local tribe attacks us immediately. If there is a civil war, intervention is our best option. It will make the anti-war group beholden to us as well as stopping the savages from striking at us directly."

"There's too much we don't know," Parker interjected, "How many tribes are wholly in for another war? Where are they? If we're going to intervene, we need to know _who_ we're attacking, or we turn them all against us."

"We know that it's Sully's brat who is leading them," Prochnow spoke softly, "Cut the head off of the snake."

Silence fell and she arched a single eyebrow at the dour Austrian, "Assassinate him?"

"He is the one doing the rallying, making the speeches, the plans, _ja_?" the young man's face was set in concentration, "There will be fighting, but we must make it fast, brutal, and so one sided that they remember what true war is like. Kill their leader, leave the war-hawks in chaos, and strike."

She assessed the thoughts, and was very glad that Patel was not present. _He'd be pitching a fit right now_.

"But as our dear Administrator pointed out, there are other clans out there that will still be out for our blood." she observed.

Kozlov grimaced like a man about to harm himself, "As much as it pains me to agree with Prochnow.. I agree."

Everyone present stared at the Russian, who grimaced yet again, "I know. We strike at the locals, the _Omaticaya_. Take out their hawk group. That will disrupt them, and incense them. Fall back to Tartarus, let them strike at the mine site, ambush them, annihilate them."

Maria sighed and leaned her head back into the leather's comforting embrace once more, "I am not the history major that Weigand was, but something stands out to me. Our goal is to cease their desire to fight us. We have been operating under the assumption that the sign of our strength during the previous siege, in addition to showing our more peaceable intentions, would be enough to deter them. We were wrong. Yet we cannot impose half measures, as has happened far too often in our history. This time, it must be absolute, draconian, scorched earth. We must terrify them so utterly of the 'sky people' that they will tell horror stories for the rest of their species days, and never again answer their goddess's call."

Once more silence had fallen, everyone looking at her, and she continued, "Colonel Theodas, barring new information from Patel, begin planning an air-cavalry assault on Sully's tribe. You're authorized to use the full strength of the First and Second companies. The other two will defend Tartarus and Hell's Gate and prepare for the enemy's retaliation. I will make sure that we have geosynchronous satellites over every nearby hometree, we will strike when the other clans begin to move."

Parker spoke quietly, "And what of the anti-war group?"

"As soon as he sobers up, I will have Patel inform his Avatar contact just what kind of war we are planning to fight. They have already shown more intelligence than the rest of their kin, perhaps they will continue that trend and get out before we strike." she stated simply, "You have your orders gentlemen."

* * *

**Date**: 8:51 PM, September 16th, 2174

**Location**: Omaticaya Kelutral, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Gazing silently down from her high roost, Pey'ral watched the great feast in honor of the visiting _Tsahik_ and warriors, the laughter and merriment of the party audible even at this height, though it did nothing to warm her heart.

Not all of the _Tsahik_ had yet arrived, only those who had travelled by _ikran_. The remainder, along with Mo'at, would be arriving the following day, for yet another great festivity that would stretch on and into the night.

Her eyes slowly fixed like _Toruk_'s upon several small forms drifting through the party, the young warriors pausing to speak with various matriarchs, sitting in within their small counsels to commune with them.

_And so the nantang begin to gather._

Tsu'tey was gathering support.

Numbers came to her mind as she searched her memory.

_Fifteen.. perhaps as many as twenty warriors support him. I have thirteen I trust implicitly to side with the Olo'eyktan against them, and that leaves only a hands worth who are undecided, but who are no doubt deciding now._

Her eyes flicked towards where Jake'sully and Neytiri sat, the tension between the mated pair obvious even from this distance.

_It would destroy Jake'sully to fight his own son, as it would destroy the unity of the tribe to fight one another.. yet that is what is coming. The young ones believe that we would never raise our bows against them.. they do not _see_ what is truly at stake here, what will happen. _

A flash of darkness, tinged with soft blue lights entered her mind, and it took her a moment to fight off the unwelcome intrusion of horrific memory.

_It would destroy us all to fight a war against our own kin... and what is worse, there is no guarantee that it would be we who triumphed, not with how many Tsahik support Tsu'tey and his thoughts._

Biting her lip and letting her tail thrash, she continued to watch the festivity and frivolity from afar, knowing that for many of those who were drinking and laughing, it would be the last time they would be able to enjoy such a thing.

She had looked at from every direction she could, examined it more closely than any prey she had ever pursued.

There was really only one option, a binding way that even Tsu'tey's most ardent supporters would be forced to bow to if they claimed to respect their very way of life.

The oldest way.

Beginning to mutter a quit prayer of forgiveness she snapped her mouth shut half way through, a tinge of anger running through her veins at the memory of Mo'at's screaming as the elderly matriarch was caught in the throes of her vision.

_Eywa will never forgive me for what I am about to do, nor would the all-mother condone even the thoughts within my mind or the metal within my soul._

Slowly leaning forwards, she let herself fall from the branch, legs flexing as she landed easily upon a lower level.

Striding purposefully, she gave only the most basic of greetings to those who greeted her in turn as she made her way down the various levels of the hometree, past the laughing, drunken members of her clan, and left it all behind as she entered a little-used tunnel that led to the depths of the tree.

She disliked going down here, underground. It reminded her far too much of the alien tunnels that she had nearly lost her life, and had lost her mate, within. Only the lack of the unnatural lights and the sounds of laughter rather than those of screams, and the purpose with which she moved, allowed her to once more shake off the trails of memories and move deeper into the soil.

Far more than even their old tree, their new _kelutral_'s roots had dug and torn at the soil beneath it, leaving behind a great expanse of natural tunnels and caverns that had been put into various uses by the clan: cooking pits, the hall of visions, storage, many things founds places down here.

It was the last that she had the most interest in, they were tools that had not been used since before the First Great Battle against the _Tawtute_, all those years ago, and that had been the first time they had been used in true anger in over a hundred seasons.

Glancing behind, she ensured that no one had followed her before she carefully entered the small storage alcove and gazed upon the rack on the wall.

_There will be much talk tonight, and yet more tomorrow. I will not interrupt the festivities for matters as dark as this. It will be at the sun's zenith, that next day, that it will happen._

Carefully reaching out, she grasped the smooth shaft of a ceremonial halberd, and carefully made her way back out, choosing another tunnel that led her into the wilderness, where she could train in peace to take the life of her best friend's son.

* * *

Next up is Chapter 8: High Noon

Expect one a week, maybe twice a week updates from now on folks, real life is biting into my time a lot more than it was a few months ago. Anyways, here is the next chapter, showcasing the escalating situation and the responses, both human and na'vi, to what is going on. Expect things to really get chaotic and fun in the next chapter, which will wrap up the first act of this story.

To those who liked her, yes, the eastern sea clan leader (tun'txampay), will be getting a lot more screen time in the next act, as part of my overall plan. Max and co will probably get a little less in Act II, only because i have too much planned for them in Act III (when we finally get that far). Anywho, continue to expect interesting debates between characters, the build-up to action, and yet more fun stuff to come.

Can't complain at all about the number of visits/hits nor the quality of reviews, though an additional number of reviews would be nice folks, give me more inspiration to get the chapters out faster for ya'll ;).

**Please, for the love of whatever deity you worship, Review!**


	9. Chapter 8: High Noon

This just in, breaking news, remember, you heard it here first! I don't own Avatar.

* * *

**Chapter 8: High Noon**

**Date**: 11:43 PM, September 18th, 2174

**Location**: _Omaticaya Kelutral_, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

The two _Tsahik_ sat beside one another, slowly picking at their late morning meals as they gazed into their cooking fire. They had spoken only in passing along their journey back to the home-tree, and again this morning, but both knew that they were dancing around a delicate subject that neither truly wished to speak of, but that they both knew which they must.

Mo'at finally asked the question that had bothered her for several days now, letting their words pass her lips, "_What was it that you saw my sister, in Eywa's vision, that allowed you to remain standing tall and unbowed, when it was all that we others could do to sit without weeping?_"

Her friend paused, choosing to carefully raise her bowl to her mouth and sip from the water within before she answered her.

"_I did not dream, elder sister. I had no vision. My sleep was peaceful and untroubled until the screaming began._" Tun'txampay explained quietly.

She sighed and bowed her head at her younger friend's words, "_Then Eywa has lost her faith in you, in your soul, as you have lost faith in her._"

The other woman shrugged, _"So it would seem._"

"_You truly no longer follow the Great Mother, even in passing?_" she pressed softly.

Another pause.

"_Perhaps out of habit. But I will not pay service to a goddess that demands yet more blood of my people. My clan.. I. I have suffered enough. My clan shall follow me, or they shall not. It will be their choice." _The dual _Olo'eyktan _and _Tsahik_ exhaled and resumed, "_That is not to say that I will allow them to become as insane as the aliens, or that I shall let myself fall in that way. We shall still act with honor, and honor the lives of all things as we have always done. As long as the aliens leave us alone, we shall leave them alone. We have seen enough death._"

Mo'at bowed her head slightly in acknowledgment, lettering her mind drift at the words of her companion.

_Is this heresy? No doubt. Is it the truth, the future of what we will become? Possibly. But it is dangerous. Such talk could easily bring down the anger of many clans upon her and her people. _

"_I fear that your words have a ring of truth sister, but that it may be one that sees Eywa direct her wrath upon you._" she spoke slowly, enunciating each word with care.

Tun'txampay bowed her painted face in turn, "_I know my friend. I speak them only to you, in confidence. But there is more here at stake than my clan's spiritual future. Blood might flow amongst these roots within a few nightfalls, yet the warriors do not act as though it is expected._"

She sighed and closed her eyes, "_The young warriors do not know that Pey'ral plans to stand and fight against their choice. They believe that Jake'sully will bow to their desire, and that even if he does not join them, he will bless their goals._"

"_Fools._" the painted woman spat, "_They spend time trying to convince other clans, already convinced, to join them in struggle against the sky people while their wiser elders prepare to stop them. All but a handful of the Tsahik have left, if they have the cunning of the nantang, they will strike soon. But who will your Olo'eyktan stand beside? What will be the will of Toruk'makto?_"

Slowly reaching down into the bowl before her, she selected a strip of _yerik_ meat and carefully ate it, letting the smokey flavor distract her for but a moment.

Once more she had to choose her words very carefully, "_Toruk'makto.. is no longer unified in soul, heart, and mind. The soul of a warrior is being called by his heart to stand and fight beside his son and mate, while it is being told by his mind that to do so is to die in vain, with all of his kin._"

Tun'txampay spat an oath, shaking her head.

"_And tensions between himself and my daughter are rising. She does not see the conflict as he does, she believes that this time they will succeed. My Neytiri still holds faith in Eywa, far more than I, I fear that Eywa shall soon give her the vision that proclaims her Tsahik. Jake'sully fears this as well." _she closed her eyes and continued despondently,_ "He confided upon me last night after drinking far too many spirits that if it comes to blows, he will gather those who still believe in his wisdom and leave this hometree. Travel east, far away from the sky people, and establish a new clan. I.. I do not wish to lose my daughter, Tun. But I am being forced to choose between my daughter and my granddaughters. Jake'sully has no intention of leaving them behind, for the fires he believes will consume this place._"

"_And Neytiri will never leave this tree as long as she can fight._" her friend finished for her, sighing, "_That is a difficult choice my sister. Both will cause you much pain. Difficult as it may be for me to say this, but I fear that your only hope must be that your elder warriors are able to prevent your grandson from leading any great force against the sky people._"

A slight sob escaped her at that. Her only hope to spare her from the pain of losing members of her family was for yet another to be slain, by her own warriors.

Tun gently reached out and held her shoulder, trying to calm her soul with just her presence.

Grateful, she let her body rest against the arm of her companion, trying to let her heart and mind once more move in harmony.

Then the shouting began.

Blinking her eyes open, the matriarch looked confusedly at Tun before twisting her head around to try and trace the source of the noise with her ears.

"_I fear that some young fool has just insulted an elder warrior._" her friend sighed, helping her to her feet, "_Let us see what can be done._"

The two matriarchs rose and moved out of the small cooking alcove and headed out into the tree proper, tracing the source of the noise to a massive gathering of what looked to be all of the people of the clan, as well as what few _Tsahik_ still lingered.

All were shouting, cursing, cheering.

Her heart began to beat wildly with worry, siting Jake and Neytiri, both ashen faced and grim, observing something occurring before them, in the heart of the crowd.

Her mouth dried as she began to recognize the war-chants and cheers that many warriors and hunters were letting loose.

Her tail thrashed as she increased her pace.

Her ears caught the tell-tale thuds and clangs of clashing ceremonial spears.

Pushing and shoving, letting her position and rank catch the eyes of those who were in her way, she and Tun'txampay moved as swiftly as they could to reach the _Olo'eyktan _and his mate. Neither turned to face her as she arrived, their eyes locked on the action before them.

For a moment, she prayed with all of her soul for this to be a nightmare.

Pey'ral, her face grim and set in a warrior's snarl, was driving Tsu'tey back before her, his eyes wide with the fear that only true knowledge of battle could bring.

Both were covered in slight scratches and bruises, he far more than she, and even as she watched Pey'ral nearly drove the blade of her weapon into his chest, the blow desperately parried at the last moment.

"_What happened!_" she had to shout over the roar of the assembled people.

"He was working out a plan to attack the humans over lunch with his companions. Pey'ral told him to shut it, that she, as the senior hunter, forbade him from doing it. He told her that he was my son, not hers, and the she had no authority over him." his voice was flat, almost dreamlike, as though he could not believe it either. "She challenged him to a ceremonial duel right there over it, saying that she did have the right and he was a young moron who need a lesson. He was too caught up in it to realize what he was doing and agreed."

She grimaced as Pey'ral slammed one of her feet into his stomach, sending him up into the air with the force of the blow, the _smack_ of flesh striking flesh that followed as her fist rammed home was equally unpleasant.

Neytiri, her voice much like her mate's, spoke, "_She is trying to teach him a lesson without slaying him. Hoping that he will recognize her as his superior without her having to deliver a fatal blow. My son will never do that.._"

Tsu'tey managed to parry yet another thrust and launch a wild counter-attack, forcing what looked like a grunt of effort from Pey'ral's lips as she smacked his spear downwards into the soil before lashing out at his face yet again, sending him spinning away with a cry of pain.

She feared the her daughter was right. _He won't back down. Not before Ean'atane, his new mate. Not before his fellow warriors. Not before the Tsahik who support his views._

With a sharp cry, the female hunter twisted her staff, slamming her former student's away with the blunt circle of the bottom before quickly reversing her grip and slashing as his shoulder.

Her grand-son let our a sharp cry and staggered back as blood flew from the wound, dropping to a knee.

Pey'ral took a long stride towards him, twisting her staff once more in her hands, bringing the blunt circle around to the fore once more. The fierce hunter wanted to knock him out, not kill him.

The moments it took her to spin the haft above her head were an eternity within a duel.

Even as she brought the weapon down, Mo'at's mind screamed in agony as Tsu'tey seized his own weapon with his unwounded arm and thrust.

Tsu'tey collapsed as the blow slammed his head around, body dropping limply to the ground.

Pey'ral looked stunned, staring at the weapon that had been driven home into her belly as though in wonder. She swayed once, eyes rolled back into her head, and then she too, fell.

The shouting, which had ceased into a single moment of silence as both struck, suddenly exploded once more even as Jake and Neytiri both sprinted forwards, shouting and cursing at everyone but the healers to stay back.

Mo'at felt Tun's arms embrace her even as her legs gave way, and she fell, sobbing, to her knees.

* * *

**Date**: 02:23 PM, September 18th, 2174

**Location**: _Omaticaya Kelutral_, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

The Samson banked into a sharp dive, the medics within cursing along with Norm as they hurtled towards the ground.

None of them were really sure why they were heading there, only that John had called, hysterical, managed to get Thomes to agree to talk with him, and within a minute she had ordered an immediate medivac team, plus Norm, sent from Hell's Gate to the _Omaticaya_.

_And I'm not sure what's worse, that someone is so badly wounded that they need human medical help, or that whatever they promised the ice queen is juicy enough for her to put aside her pro-human agenda to agree to help_. His mind fretted even as the pilot began to rapidly level off, bringing them in towards the main entrance.

Na'vi were waiting for them, scattering and shouting what sounded like curses as the rotors kicked up wind and debris.

He was out of the vehicle before it hit the ground, the medics quickly following his lead and hopping out, seizing their gear as they did, grouping in behind him.

It took him a moment to figure out why.

Some of the natives were very visibly angered by their presence, even as others affected neutral or even friendly demeanors.

One, a striking female, strode forwards, snarling and cursing.

He interrupted the young woman, partly because he knew it would annoy her, mostly because they had been told it was of the utmost urgency.

"_Pardon me, but we were told to come here and that it was an emergency, please move aside so we can help whomever is injured._" he spoke as he always did, formally and politely.

Her lips curled into the Na'vi equivalent of a sneer, "_You are not welcome here demon, begone!_"

He glared at the much taller alien, "_Jake'sully is a personal friend of mine and told us to come, you are not he. Stand aside._" He knew his voice sounded much more confident than he was actually feeling, and he had to fight to stop from trembling as her glare intensified.

She opened her mouth to speak, but two metallic _clacks_ sounded from behind him stopped her.

Both of the door-gunners had dismounted and cocked their combat shotguns, both aimed directly at her as they moved up beside the unarmed medics.

The woman paused, obviously working over her options, before a blue fist slammed into her face and sent her spinning to the ground.

She rose, started to hiss, and choked suddenly as she caught sight of Jake's face, set into a snarl of utter rage, glaring at her.

"_I expect far better from my son's mate. Get out of my sight. Now._" he spat, turning disdainfully away from her and nodding jerkily to Norm. "Norm, come on, she's this way. Hurry."

The fallen woman scrambled frantically out of their way as they followed Jake, the group of humans being forced to break into a light jog just to keep up.

"Jake! Wait up man! Who's injured, what's going on!" he asked as they stumbled through a cloud of Na'vi, all of whom were looking surprised at seeing the seven humans following their leader towards the back of the main hall.

His friend didn't answer, instead continuing to glare at anyone who got in the way and beckoning for them to move faster.

It did not take them long to reach the epicenter of what had happened, and his heart hitched in his throat as the coppery scent of blood hit his nose, and he caught sight of the body laying beneath two healers.

Not needing any escort or commands at that point, the medics quickly raced forwards, surrounding them. Jake quietly shooed the healers away, who both took a mere few steps back before turning to watch their alien counterparts work.

Norm paled at seeing the warrior's face, and the wound covered by salves and bandages upon her toned belly.

"Pey'ral.." he murmured softly.

Just a few days ago he had been laughing and talking with her, showing her what human devices did what, why the did it, explaining things to satisfy her refreshing curiosity.

Now she was laying before him, probably dying, in a pool of her own blood.

"What happened Jake?" he asked quietly as the medics hid their activities with their bodies, frantically examining the wound and affixing their own bandages, talking in low, fast tones as the healers looked on.

His friend spoke in quiet, dead tones, "He challenged her authority as my second, as the head of our warriors, and she challenged him to a duel over it. She was trying to beat sense into him, that she was in charge and spoke for me, not him. She had him, but didn't want to kill him. Paused to knock him out instead. He got her when she paused."

"He got her all right." one of the medics spoke up, her voice tense, "She's a mess. We need to get her to Tartarus."

Jake nodded slightly at that, and he quietly continued to ask his questions, "Where is Tsu'tey? What's going to happen now Jake?"

"Up higher, with Neytiri. Still out cold." The medics were affixing her to an Na'vi sized stretcher, grunting slightly with the effort of heaving her up. "And I don't know Norm. I just don't know. Take care of her, please."

"I will." he promised before turning to follow the medics and their burden, trying to tune out the voices that had begun to shout behind him. The tribe, it seemed, did not approve of them taking her, and though he didn't look back, he could hear Jake's voice, tinged once more with anger, bellowing for them to shut up and stay back.

Getting her affixed safely to the Samson and then getting everyone back in while under the watchful gaze of the tribe was an adventure unto itself. After several tense minutes, with Jake occasionally shouting loudly enough to be heard over the rotor's roaring, he took his place in the back as the door gunners, re-affixed their weapons to the mounts and the gunship lifted off into the sky.

The medic was already on the comms even as they cleared the home-tree, requesting that the pair of doctors who had worked on Neytiri those years past be ready to operate on a Na'vi again as soon as they landed.

For his part, he fretted and grimaced every-time her breath hitched, watching over her worriedly.

Not only was she Jake's best friend, his second amongst the warriors and hunters of the clan, but she was also the one who held the lion's share of the loyalty of the older group of warriors. With Jake unable to fight his own son, it was her word and commands that they would obey in battle, and without her, it was doubtful that they would raise their weapons against Tsu'tey.

Even more, she was his friend. Quite possibly the only Na'vi one that he had. Mo'at still scared him on some level, and she preferred Max's company. Neytiri had increasingly avoided him as time went by, probably seeing him a link to her mate's human past.

_Even if I haven't spoken to her all that much, it was still enough to make me like her as a friend, and that's why I'm not going to let her die._

Though, to be frank with himself, there wasn't a lot he could do. Sure, he knew Na'vi biology, but knowing where an organ is, and what it does, and how it works, is a far cry from being able to _fix_ it after it had been slashed open by a giant blade.

_Hell, only reason you were sent with was because you speak the language and they might've needed a translator._ The bitter thought swam into his mind.

_Look on the bright side, with Max busy as 'head of the department' and Katrina still mostly uncaring about the Na'vi, you'll probably be the one that Thomes appoints to babysit Pey'ral. It'll make life interesting, at least. _He glanced at her still form, and that at the rushing forest beneath them, _Assuming she lives.._

_

* * *

_

**Date**: 07:50 PM, September 18th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

_Help her, and I will deal with my son._

Vague, yet promising. How could she pass the chance up?

Maria Thomes listened with half an ear to the doctor as the dark-skinned woman rattled off everything that they had done in the last several hours.

It all boiled down to: she would live, but would be bed ridden for quite some time. Weeks, maybe more.

_Not surprising, given that her guts got opened up by that blade. If not for our medicines, she'd have died slowly and in agony. _

She thanked and dismissed the doctor, leaning back into her office chair and expelling a breath, mentally ticking off everything that would have to be done.

The female hunter was the same that had caught the incompetent moron that had tried to scout out their defenses, and according to Spellman, was apparently the leader of the opposition.

_Which is both good and bad for us. We have plenty of time to communicate with her, and she owes us her life, but she's _here_ healing, not _there _fighting. _

Sighing, she lazily flicked her computer screen on and brought up the plan that Theodas had presented to her, and scrolled to the relevant section.

_Case Red_: _Pro-war group seizes full control of local clan._

_Standing Orders: Any native bearing arms is a legitimate target._

_Method of Attack: _

_First Company will begin preliminary missile bombardment from 10km SSW of target. Bombardment will last approx. five minutes and expend one-hundred twenty guided missiles, three hundred and sixty guided rockets._

_Attack group will approach and disembark Second Company forces. Combined force will approach and eliminate any surviving hostiles._

_Estimated operation time: one hour. _

_Estimated casualties: minimal._

_Attack group will fall back to Hell's Gate to refuel, reload, and to emphasize Mine Site 02 as vulnerable location as per orders._

It was exactly the kind of overwhelming force plan that she had requested, one that would obliterate the entire clan with extreme speed and prejudice. It would be scorched earth, pure and simple, leaving nothing but ash where the clan had once lived.

That in turn, was the largest issue with the plan. The keystone being the preliminary missile strike, aimed at both bringing down the tree as well as generally obliterating that area, would be fully indiscriminate, and both Theodas and herself agreed that Case Red would see the death of every Na'vi within the clan, warrior or not.

With a grimace, she closed it and glanced over her other options.

Case Green revolved around a land-based assault, with a sniper team equipped with rail-rifles borrowed from the Third Company specifically to eliminate Tsu'tey. The First Company would keep the sky clear and provide support. It had the disadvantage, by its nature, of most likely incurring more casualties than the first plan, but would be 'friendlier' to the civilian natives.

The original Green had been a much more typical assassination run, but that had been revised after Spellman had discovered and informed them that Tsu'tey possessed a mate.

_It is entirely possible that she is the driving force behind this, and that the young male, being a young male, is just the brawn for her plans. Even if it isn't, that there are two of them implies that there might be more. If we hit them, we have to make sure that none of them escape, and that means more manpower than just a sniper team._

She paused and considered other advantages behind the idea.

_It could also showcase that we're not afraid to fight them on the ground, in their territory._ She mused. _Might throw them off a bit, if they still think we're just cowards. Have to ask that huntress about it._

She didn't bother looking at Blue or Olive. Both assumed that the Na'vi would fracture into civil war, and that the attack group would be intervening on the behalf of those against all-out war.

_That leaves Indigo._ _Guaranteed to piss them all off, no matter what, and probably alienate Patel and his cronies permanently, as well as every native on the continent._

Indigo was a modification of Quaritch's plan to destroy the Tree of Souls, utilizing either a Scorpion flight to destroy the tree. Unlike Quaritch's plan, their own relied more on stealth and surprise then overwhelming force. The plan called for series of distraction strikes on three nearby clans, simultaneous with the single flight slipping on a round-about course north to hit the tree.

Sighing again, she brushed a few blonde hairs from her face and shut the system down.

_It's going to all come down to how much time they give us, and what Sully does. I need to train my people before I trust them to launch a combined-arms assault in this jungle. If they start moving in the next week, or two, it will have to be Red. The more time they give us, the more I'll consider Green. _She blew out a breath and headed for the cafeteria, fully intent on devouring the fettuccine that was on today's menu. _And if Sully actually does something, maybe a civil war might still happen._

_

* * *

_

**Date**: 10:18 AM, September 19th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

_She moved carefully, body stooped, through the alien tunnels, clutching the machine producing precious light within her hand._

_Pey'ral didn't know how long she had been down beneath the soil, only that far too much time had passed, and that she longed utterly to escape from this vile place._

_That her right arm screamed with pain whenever she moved it was not aiding her ability to think. The strange sky person weapon had torn through it fully, and she knew that even though the wound would not threaten her life, it would be months before she could use a bow once more._

_Coming to an intersection, she searched her memory, attempting to remember what turns she had taken, following the nantang when she first entered this place. _

_Biting her lip, she glanced both ways down the corridor before sniffing the air, hoping to catch even the slightest bit of fresh air._

_Only blood, fear, and death filled her nostrils, and she grimaced._

_Even the screaming, shouting, and sounds of battle had largely faded, giving her little chance to use her ears. _

_Biting her lip and letting her tail thrash, she moved right, praying to Eywa that she would guide her out of here so that she could once more wrap herself in Unil's arms. _

_Continuing to move through the hall, her light illuminated the bodies that filled it, and despite being a hardened warrior, accustomed to the sight of death, she had to work to control her stomach._

_Nantang bodies littered the floor, their paws and limbs draped over one another. The cause of their death was visible at the end, a torn apart sky person clutching a bloody weapon far larger than any she had seen, another dead alien was visible just behind it, her own body clutching a similar weapon._

They must have been guarding something.

_Hope beat a staccato rhythm within her heart, _Perhaps they defended the exit, staying behind to give the other warriors time to flee?

_Steeling herself, she moved slowly over the corpses, trying to push what she was walking on from her mind._

_The sight of a blue arm, buried beneath the weight of the nantang, did not improve her mind. Nor did her grisly check to ensure that it was not her life-mate help._

_Resuming her grisly trek, another scent reached her nostrils. _

_Burnt flesh._

_Carefully, she reached the passageway the sky people had fallen defending, and she raised her light to peer inside._

_Spinning aside, squeezing her eyes closed, she fell to her knees and began to retch and heave, continuing to do so even as her own vomit splashed onto her legs and it became nothing but pain from the motion._

_Staggering to her feet, stumbling, she fled as quickly as she could, whimpering noises escaping from her throat as she moved. _

_Sight, sound, reason, logic, faith. All abandoned her torn mind as it frantically tried to forget forever what her eyes had seen within that room._

_Moving frantically, she fell even as she reached the passageway she had once turned from, moving past it on her hands and knees, not even hearing the keening wail and moans that escaped from her mouth._

_Voices._

_Words._

_Something was calling her._

_It was calling her name._

_Her eyes slowly focused upon a male Na'vi, of her clan, at the end of the passageway, illuminated by the light her hand clutched to._

"_Pey'ral!" he called again, voice hoarse._

_She blinked at him, mind trying to grasp what was happening._

_He opened his mouth to call again, even as a harsh crack split the air, and he fell, clutching at his throat as his life's blood poured forth._

_The male tried to turn, to raise his knife with one hand, only for another crack to resound, blood and brain exploding from the rear of his head as his body fell limp._

_Her mind, already bent beyond breaking, snapped further._

_Everything became a rush of sensation, of feeling. The walls blurring past her as she ran. The sight of a badly wounded sky person, her face oddly beautiful, eyes wide with terror, as Pey'ral hurled her body forward on all fours like an animal towards her._

_Everything became red._

_Her hands hurt._

_Her right arm was numb._

_She could taste blood._

_Blinking her eyes, she slowly faded back into reality. A female sky person lay dead before her. Dark purple marks covered her body, blood seeping from her slim mouth. A metal weapon, broken, lay nearby, as did a machine that created light._

_She shook her head, pain and dizziness following as she did so, and she had to reach a hand out to keep her balance._

_Tail drooping near lifelessly behind her, she gazed around, seeing a dead warrior behind her, and numerous dead nantang along the floor._

_Numbly she picked up the strange machine that cast the white light, and began to make her way along the passage._

Unil will be waiting for me when I leave this place.. she will be there, and we will leave this haunted place forever..

_Down several passageways, far behind her, in what had been the control room for the defenses of Site 01, a horribly burnt corpse of a Na'vi female lay sprawled across a holographic table, her skin and muscles had been consumed by the fire, leaving her face, set rigid in utmost agony, to stare sightlessly forever._

A pair of human nurses glanced at one another as the comatose form below them twitched slightly, eyes moving in the characteristic way of dreamers, before the native woman settled into a deep sleep once more.

* * *

Next up is Interlude I: A Better Tomorrow

And here is the end of Act I: Dying Dreams. We'll have an interlude followed by the start of Act II: Red Moon's Rise up next.

Glad to see that everyone is still enjoying the fic. I can't promise this speed of updates anymore, but I'll keep trying. Hope that everyone likes this chapter, especially considering I had to re-write it cuz I didn't like how it was going.

Pey'ral has dueled Tsu'tey and lost, so now Jake must decide how to handle his son even as the humans gear up for an assault.

Our interlude will take us back to Terra, see how things have gone over there.

**Please, for the love of whatever, keep reviewing!**


	10. Interlude: A Better Tomorrow

I don't own anything that's not mine.

* * *

**Interlude I: A Better Tomorrow**

**Date**: 12:32 PM, September 20th, 2174

**Location**: Helsinki, Finland, Terra, Sol System

The gray bearded man relaxed in his luxury chair, the leather enfolding his body even as his eyes gazed with hawkish intensity into the television screen. His pistol lay within reach upon the table next to him, and he appeared entirely at ease in his suit and tie.

Matthew Wallace was now on the far side of middle-aged, his seventy year old body slowly beginning to show its age even with generous applications of modern medical technology and hefty amounts of exercise.

That did not mean, however, that his mind had dimmed or weakened as time had past. It remained just as sharp as the day that he had blackmailed Parker Selfridge into returning to Pandora.

The head of what the media had dubbed 'The New Age Inquisition', listened intently to the reports now coming in from southeastern Asia.

".._can now confirm that diplomats from India and Pakistan have agreed to the peace proposal put forward by the Russian Federation on behalf of the United Earth Government." _the oriental reporter read from her script, "_For the first time in eight years, peace will fall on the subcontinent, and it is believed that with the two primary nations once more at peace, the smaller brush wars occupying Indonesia, Myanmar, and the surrounding region will begin to cease._"

He flicked the mute button idly, no need to listen to the woman prattle about the plan to slowly absorb both India and Pakistan into the UEG.

The transition from the United Nations to the United Earth Government had been a slow, laborious process that was even yet ongoing. In his opinion, it had been one that was far too long in coming, something that humanity should have seen the need for decades, if not a century, ago.

The United Nations had been a conglomeration, a meeting round for nations to discuss and debate.

The United Earth Government was just that, a government that ruled the Earth, with petty nationalism but behind it.

Europe had begun the movement, and the Americas had followed. Parts of Asia were all for it, as was Australia.

_Africa however.._ he sighed bitterly. _That regions is the reason my department now exists._

Africa, which had been a mess since the _twentieth_ century, had remained so. Some of the nations on the oldest inhabited continent had joined, most didn't. Attempts to bring them in through peace had failed, as already shaky governments began to collapse as resource wars broke out. Desperate, most had turned towards the old NAU and EU for aid.

Both, full members of the UEG, had ignored the pleas for humanitarian aid.

_They had everything they needed._ He snorted, _And they have no one to blame but themselves._

The UEG's plan to deal with reticent Africa was simple: Ignore them. Let the corrupt governments fall, let the military dictators slaughter one another. If the people of Africa truly wished for their continent, their future, to be a better place, they would have to take care of their own problems.

Some had, joining the UEG after mass-civilian revolts toppled the local institutions.

Others were still locked in civil war, strife, and bloodshed.

_All things in time, one humanity, united, upon this Earth._

It was the motto of the Investigatory Group, which he headed. Originally formed to examine local governments and facilitate their merger into the UEG, it's role had begun to increase as agent after agent became infuriated with local corruption or obstructive bureaucrats.

After a dozen tense meetings with the Security Council, he secured increasingly broad powers for his agents, giving them the ability to remove local officials and appoint new representatives.

In some instances, the people they had to remove fought back, which in turn, led to his people needing _more_ authority to call in forces to deal with them, or to remove the mess after a more personal confrontation.

It wasn't a perfect solution by any means. He knew that several of his agents had become corrupt on various levels. The more extreme cases were dealt with. The more minor cases were allowed to continue as long as their work was unaffected.

The increasing roar of a landing helicopter roused him, the call of the engine reminding him that there was yet more work that he had to do that day.

_Such is life._ He sighed, reaching for his fashionable cane and rising from his chair, pausing to return his pistol to his shoulder holster, securing the safety as he did so.

He carefully stepped over the increasingly rigid corpse of the man who had once been one of his top agents, and made his way out of the luxury cottage.

The cleanup team waiting outside nodded respectfully before moving in. Within an hour the place would be fully secured, with no trace of the dead man or his life remaining.

_There can be no hesitation, humanity must unite, we must restore discipline to our species. Only discipline and unity can halt the chaos that might consume us all._

With that thought in mind, he easily climbed into the waiting vehicle and nodded to the pilot, who rose the machine into the air.

* * *

**Date**: 2:47 PM, September 22nd, 2174

**Location**: Zurich, Switzerland, Terra, Sol System

The Security Council met in the conference room, the grandeur of the room seeming natural for the nine immaculately dressed men and women.

Seven Secretaries of War, one for each continent.

Matthew Wallace, as head of his separate but equal department.

And of course, the General-Secretary himself, official leader of the entirety of humanity, even if there were some who did not yet appreciate that fact.

"Two more years until the fleet returns, and one after that for the resumption of the Unobtanium supply." the elder statesman began to speak, his blue eyes piercing, "We must continue to unite humanity as best as we are able in these trying times, so that the deaths of those whom we sent bravely into the stars are not in vain."

Mentally, Wallace rolled his eyes. As much as he admired what the General-Secretary had done, the dark-skinned man always tended to speak as though he was making a speech, even if it was in ordinary conversation.

"North America is currently at ease." Charles Lincoln replied easily, resting comfortably even as he calmly lit a pipe, the wooden smell filling the air, "Our reactors are working perfectly fine and there is only minor talk about the conflicts still occurring. That the UEG is similar enough in organization to the typical American style of government has eased the transition greatly."

The Secretaries in charge of South America, Australia, and Antarctica reported in similar veins, the latter largely due to the still small population on the frozen tundra.

Europe was slightly more concerned, the woman stressing that many people, particularly in Russia and the Mediterranean nations, were beginning to agitate for military intervention into northern Africa to quell the chaos that saw pirates and raiders appearing.

Asia's reports were largely filled with bad news. The peace deal between Pakistan and India was largely hype by the media. Though it was true that the two nations had ceased fighting and would integrate into the UEG, current plans indicated a very long integration period. What was worse, neither China nor Japan had any interest in joining.

To cap it off, Africa shrugged his broad shoulders and stated bluntly, "Nothing's changed, still chaos except in a few nations."

Wallace then began his own report, "Corruption in South America has been largely dealt with. Most of the drug barons have been eliminated and we have people on station to ensure that whoever steps into the criminal void exercises less interference in political matters. I've transferred several agents to African regions under our control, and I have them mentoring the group I intend to move into Asia."

The leader of the human race sighed and nodded, "Asia is becoming our greatest problem. Africa might be in chaos, but the signs are there that the people are finally beginning to do something about it all."

Secretary Asia shrugged her slim shoulders, brushing silver bangs from her forehead, "China is still furious that the West is once more green while their interior is still an irradiated death zone, and Japan is still in its partial isolation. They've wanted nothing to do with anything after China and America fought it out on Kyushu."

South America snorted, "Then they should have had a proper army. Honestly."

Kim held her hands apart, "I agree, it's moronic to be a pacifist when it's patently obvious you're about to be invaded, I'm just reporting on what they are doing."

"That brings us to the main topic at hand," the General-Secretary interrupted them, as was his due, "Where will the first shipment go, once it arrives? Nanjing, as planned, in the hope it acts as an olive branch? Or do we give it elsewhere? Perhaps for the colonization program?"

"No question, it must go to the Chinese. They will soon be the only nuclear nation not within the UEG, we must incorporate them." Kim asserted.

"And if they take the reactor and don't join?" Charles asked quietly.

"Then it will be World War IV, and we pray that our anti-ballistic missile tech is up to the job." she replied simply, "If we are to live up to our ideals, they have to join, either willingly or at gunpoint."

He ran some mental numbers, "By the time the unobtanium arrives, both India and Pakistan will have finished integration. With them in, I expect that Indonesia and Iran will follow, which will mean that China, Korea, and Japan will be the only major non-African nations remaining. We could offer the unobtanium conditionally, and if they refuse, we move in."

"A grim possibility." their leader sighed, "Let us agree to that plan for now, and iron it out in the coming months. What is the status of the colony program?"

"First two of the new standard ISV's are done, as is one colony ship, but with our unobtanium reserves now fully exhausted, nothing more can be done until the shipments resume in full." Antarctica replied easily. Though nominally in charge of the frozen continent and its coastal pair of hive-cities, his duties were concerned primarily with the space programs and with the Lunar colony.

He continued, "Both regular ISV's have already departed, meaning that there should be no second gap in shipments. The _Pacific Horizon_ is fitting out as we speak and we have more volunteers for colonists than she can fit. Assuming she leaves within the next year or two, she should arrive over Heracles by 2182. The shipyards have nominally finished the _Atlantic Storm _and _Arctic Wind_, both have functioning fusion reactors and we can use them to shuttle large numbers of people to the Moon, but until we can attach their unobtanium reactors, they're stuck in our solar system."

"And the shipment schedule?" Wallace asked before anyone else could.

"Once a year from three years from now until nine years from now. Then we will have a one year gap until shipments resume at the once a year standard. Once Heracles colony is begun, the colonization ships can also carry unobtanium back, meaning that there will be double-shipments arriving at times."

The General-Secretary asked the next question of their expert, "With no viable means of synthetic unobtanium appearing, how long until we have exhausted Pandora as a supply?"

"Centuries, easily. The amount required for each reactor is not large, and there is an incredible amount to be found on the moon. We are fairly sure that the other moons within that system also have the material, just not in nearly as large of quantities as Pandora, and it is more likely to be located much further underground, making it difficult to mine."

Kim rested her face upon a hand, "That is all well and good, but I fear that we must concentrate, for now, on unifying our race as well as the colonization of of our own solar system."

He slowly tuned the meeting out as the discussion turned towards the progress of the lunar colony as well as the proposed asteroid mining stations.

Perhaps an hour later, the General-Secretary thanked and dismissed them, heading to his own meeting with the Assembly while the various secretaries and he packed up to head back to their own departments.

He sighed as he trekked towards his next meeting, a briefing with his own senior staff, _I already miss Helsinki.._

* * *

**Sent**: September 22nd, 2174

**To**: UNEF, Pandora

**From**: UEG, Terra

Routine Status Update Requested.

Approx. 3/5 planet united under UEG. Believed 4/5 will be achieved within 4 years.

Possible world-war with remaining separatist nations may occur in 3-5.

* * *

**Sent**: September 23rd, 2174

**To**: UEG, Terra

**From**: UNEF, Pandora

Possible Native Attack imminent, no current cause for concern believed.

Have slowed mining program to allow for one year gap.

Will brief population on Terra status.

Try to keep our home-world intact please.

* * *

**Sent**: September 24th, 2174

**To**: UNEF, Pandora

**From**: UEG, Terra

Please refrain from personal comments via superluminal.

Try to not get eaten please.

* * *

Next up is Act II: Red Moon's Rising, Chapter 10: Let the Sky Fall

And I was really motivated to get this done, so here is your interlude showcasing what's up on Terra. Parker's old and dear friend has gained quite a bit of power as time passed, and the map of the earth is slowly changing.

Next up is the beginning of the second act, and we'll see how the conflict begins to break down, specifically what Jake is up to and how he is going to try and stop his son, even as the humans start preparing to kill anything that glances at them.

**I really, really appreciate the reviews, so keep giving them!**


	11. Chapter 9: Let the Sky Fall

Avatar own don't I :Here is disclaimer your.

* * *

**Chapter 9: Let the Sky Fall**

**Date**: 4:23 PM, September 19th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Parker Selfridge watched the holoimage passively as the exercise was conducted near Hell's Gate. The wastes around the mine where they had once set up prefabs and make-shift garages to run the massive operation were now largely abandoned.

Despite the level at which Hell's Gate had been overrun, the local flora had not encroached as badly on the massive crater or the region around it. He had meant to ask Patel about it, but dreading a long scientific diatribe, he had elected to simply accept it.

The rough footing provided by encroaching vines, young saplings, and random boulders had made it into a useful training ground for conducting exercises. In addition, its location and size meant that very few animals ever went near the place, preferring to stay within the cover of the trees.

For the third time, he watched the majority of their air force roar in from over the mine, the Dragon and Samsons swooping low to drop off their cargo of men and machines even as the Scorpion squadron flocked into defensive positions around them.

He checked the time as the men of the Second Company piled out, AMP suits dropping from the Dragon.

"Faster than last time," he glanced back up as they fanned out into a skirmish line, "Neater too."

Kozlov let out a light snort from his place nearby, shaking his head, "They should have done this well on their first try yesterday, not their third today." he rumbled.

He could only agree helplessly. The Austrians had been part of the select force picked by Weigand to reinforce them, to fill in a gap he perceived in the rest of their units capabilities, which now worked against them.. Oh, they were good troops, solidly trained and equipped. They were veterans of a dozen border-wars and resource conflicts in the Balkans and South America. To put it simply, they were among the best in their trade.

Which was the problem.

They were _Gebirgsjaeger. _

Mountain infantry.

The tough Austrians would have been perfect for leading any assault on the Hallelujah mountains and the Tree of Souls, or any of the half-dozen clans they had identified that lived within the both the floating mountains as well as the more traditional range beneath them. That was most likely why Weigand had selected them all of those years ago.

But with the original First and Second companies effectively annihilated in the Battle of Tartarus, they had been forced to make do with what they had.

Even though Prochnow drilled his men incessantly, far more than any other company, the problem still lay in the fact that both he and his men were used to operating in a very different environment, with far less support.

The lone hunter mentality that had served them well in the Andes and Balkan mountains, but it would get them killed on Pandora.

He nodded with very slight approval as the rest of the exercise ran far better than the previous several attempts, the men advancing rapidly over the uneven terrain and painting simulated targets for the air corps to engage.

A small group of Kozlov's men moved with them, the distinctive long, cylindrical barrels of their sniper rifles making them stand out as they carefully selected their own 'targets', pausing to fire a simulated round before moving to other vantage points.

"How are your men handling the weapons?" he asked, mostly to start a conversation as the simulation ended and the men grouped up to wait for the gunships to land and pick them up.

The Russian shrugged his broad soldiers, "As good as can be expected. Maintaining them is severely difficult, but the firepower they provide is extreme."

Parker did some mental math, "You think it's wise sending a third of them with the attack force?"

Another shrug, "Four rail-rifles will not make a difference either way. We held them once before, we can do so again, and if it is our fate to die as our comrades did, then we may only hope that we kill as many as our friends took to hell with them."

_He's gotten so...philosophically grim since the battle_. He mused inwardly, while outwardly shrugging in turn, "Don't think that will happen this time."

"Perhaps not." the other man leaned down, eyes gazing at the various icons as the First took to the air and began to circle north to run through the simulation yet again.

The two listened with half an ear to the comm chatter as the Ops-Center staff reset the computer programs while the squadrons began to fall into formation once more.

Kozlov broke the silence between them with an unexpected question, "What do you think of her plans?"

The change in topic took him off guard, and it took him a moment to gather his thoughts, "Thomes'?"

"_Da._" the other man nodded, not taking his gaze off the icons as the two companies began the drill once more.

Parker frowned slightly. Of course he had his own opinions of what Maria and Theodas had come up with, but he had no idea why Kozlov was asking him about it.

"They're probably as good of plans as we're going to get given our capabilities. No one wants to sit on the defensive again, even though that would probably guarantee a victory for us. She'd have a revolt on her hands if she did, the men and women on base want to hit back instead of being hit." he spoke slowly at first, speeding up slightly as he saw the Russian captain nod, "That's my miners included. A lot of them were at Hell's Gate, and those years of living under siege were quite enough for them."

He glanced aside at his companion again, tilting his head, "Why?'

The other man also frowned and took a moment before he responded, "They are solid enough plans, and should be more than adequate as far as defeating and deterring the blue-skins. What worries me far more is their goddess."

It did not take him more than a moment to figure out Kozlov's train of thought, "You think that even if we kick the crap out of them that she'll keep throwing animals at us?"

"_Da._" a nod, "I fear that she will be persistent, and that we will indeed have to destroy her tree, and that in turn could mean that yet more blue-skins make the trek to do battle with us."

"You talk with her about this?" he cocked his head to one side, looking at but not paying attention to the holoimage.

"_Da_, of course."

"And she said?"

"That she already was considering what might happen and to shut up and get out of her way so she could berate Prochnow in person."

He chuckled slightly, "I take it you did this last night?"

The Russian cracked a small smile, "Inexcusable, I know. I intend to speak with her tonight, hoping that perhaps the better performance on the field will improve her mood enough to have a civilized conversation."

Still smiling lightly the two once more focused on watching the exercise, the two companies once more managing to run it nearly flawlessly, though still slightly behind the target time.

"A week." Kozlov rumbled finally as they final run of the day ended. "Until they are ready enough to not botch the assault.."

He arched an eyebrow, "Think the natives will give us that time?"

The Russian thought it over before responding, "Perhaps. They will seek to move with more caution and less haste this time, and that will buy us a few days, at least. But are they unified under one banner, or will some seek to move with more speed?"

"I guess time will tell." Parker spoke quietly, grimacing slightly, and feeling very, very glad that, if things went according to plan, even vaguely so, he wouldn't be anywhere near the fighting this time.

* * *

**Date**: 7:14 PM, September 19th, 2174

**Location**: Eastern Sea Clan territory, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

His banshee squawked irritatedly as he dismounted and ceased their bond, its eyes gazing darkly at the equally disdainful Ocean banshees that were resting on the shelf overhanging the water.

Patting his friend upon his nose, Jake Sully gave him a slight smile and a word of assurance that they would not be staying long before moving towards the warriors even now moving to greet him.

"_I see you, Toruk'makto Jake'Sully._" A scarred warrior greeted, the burn scarring along his right arm accented by the warpaint he bore.

"_I see you, honored warrior. I must speak with your Olo'eyktan, it is a matter of urgency._"

The warrior regarded him, "_If you seek to find support for your son here, you will find none, Tourk'makto. We have had enough of doing war with the sky people._"

His long-dead and mourned brother would have said something clever to divert attention from what he intended to ask. He wasn't like that, he was a marine.

"_I'm not here to ask her to fight beside my son. I'm here to ask her to fight against him._" he stated bluntly.

A deathly silence fell across the cavern as all activity within ear-shot ceased, and all eyes turned to stare at him.

"_You would ask us to fight on the side of the aliens?_" the warrior demanded.

"_No."_ he shook his head, hoping to explain before everyone jumped to conclusions and rejected him on general principles, "_I have no love for them. I want to stop him before they are even involved, before they can use their weapons to destroy yet more clans._"

Another warrior, bearing a small scar upon his chest that no doubt had a match upon his back, stood up, "_Even if we did desire to intervene in their conflict, what would we few be able to do?_"

"_You aren't the first clan I've visited. You won't be the last."_ he stated, trying to sound bold, and not let the deep pain of what he was doing shine through, "_Yes, you are few. Yes, you have suffered. But you have fought against the sky people, against weapons that you could never have imagined in your darkest nightmares. You have watched mates, children, friends, all die to their weapons. You know pain."_

He turned slowly, regarding the clan, "_And because of that, you are strong. Far stronger than my son or any of the warriors who will flock to his banner. On the homeworld of the sky people, there was once a great battle, more than a hundred seasons ago. It was part of war that gripped the entire world, from end to end. A small force of brave veterans, outnumbered more than five to one, and wielding only the most basic of their weapons against the most modern machines of war, did not lose to their superior enemy. They did not flee before them. They attacked with all the canny and wisdom of patient hunters, and so utterly defeated the enemy that they never again attempted to attack that region."_

Their attention was utterly upon him now, "_Yes, we are few. Yes, we are weary and sick of battle. Yes, we do not want to see yet more death, least of all upon the arrows of our kin. But it is because of that fear, that tiredness, that weakness, that we are the only ones who can stop my son now. We know that we are not immortal, that Eywa cannot stretch down and block the weapons that seek to slay us. _

A flash of red caught his eye, as Tun strode forwards from the rear of the cave, crossing her arms and watching him as he continued, "_I know.. that you have no wish to fight against our own kin. That such a thing has not happened since the earliest times of great sorrow. I.." _he fought to keep his voice even and eyes clear, "_I have no wish to fight my son... or my very mate.. but I cannot let them continue. Cannot let a war begin that will wreathe our world in fire. Some members of my own clan stand by me. The Green River clan told me that they would only join if you did. If you do not, I will understand, but my warriors and I will fight, even though we know that we will go to our doom._"

He lowered his head slightly, "_Tun.. the choice is yours to make. I am not here as Toruk'makto. I doubt she would come even if I called, or that Eywa would allow our bond. I'm here as a man who has lost all but my daughters.. and I refuse to lose them as I have lost everything else that I love and hold dear. I don't know who I am inside. If I am one of the People or still a Sky Person. All that matters now is that Grace and Sylwanin live to grow old, grow to love, and live lives in peace, not what the pain and battle that we have had to live through."_

Sitting slowly, he kept his head bowed, "_Tun.. choice is yours._"

Silence fell, and he could feel the gazes of the clan shifting away from him, turning to their leader in both body and spirit.

It felt like an eternity before she answered.

"_Toruk'makto calls. And we will answer._"

There was no wild cheering as had happened all those years past when he had come, no sense of excitement.

Instead, a weary sort of acceptance seemed to fall over the clan, men and women nodding slowly, bracing themselves for actions they had no desire to do, but that which they knew must be done.

An arm braced around his shoulders as Tun heaved him up to his feet, "_Come, let us talk in privacy._"

He followed her numbly, not even feeling any sort of accomplishment for having secured two clans to his own coalition.

The two moved deeper into the cavern, eventually coming to the private alcoves and moving into the _tsahik_'s.

Gratefully accepting a small bowl of spirits, he drank the fiery liquid and felt it burn his throat and spread warmth into his body.

"_Thank you._" he spoke softly.

She grimaced, "_For the spirits, you are welcome. For the rest.. thank me once we have one, and are able to leave our despair behind, if we ever are._"

He smiled sadly and raised his cup in a salute, "_If we ever are._" Taking another sip, he glanced around the small 'room'.

It reminded him greatly of Mo'at's own alcove, though it was obvious that Tun actually slept and lived within the chamber, rather than using it only for her spiritual duties. Nicks and knacks littered the walls and floor, hanging from strings or resting upon the ground. All probably had some significance to her, though he was not sure what exactly. A hammock had been squeezed in, made from what looked like hide from a Thanator, and it was what she rested upon.

"_Your mate... Neytiri. She truly will fight beside her son?_" Tun asked eventually, as both finished their saucers.

Jake glanced at the ground once more, "_Her injury won't let her fight, and for that I am glad, but she will support him and encourage what few members of our clan had not decided to join him."_

The painted leader paused before she asked yet another painful question, "_If it comes down to it, would you fire the arrow that ends his life?_" There was no need to explain who he was.

Memories of a young, smiling face, laughing and running, covered in mud, riding a _Pa'li_ for the first time, a dozen more, rose to the surface of his mind.

"_I.. do no think that I could." _he replied eventually, "_I think.. I think Pey'ral knew that, and that is why she chose to do what she did. Could.._" he couldn't ask the question.

She closed her own eyes and bowed her head, "_I cannot promise that I will meet him on the field of battle, or that it will not pain me to kill the son of a friend. But.. if I do meet him.. I will spare you the pain of what must be done._"

He opened his mouth to thank her, closed it without speaking, and instead merely nodded.

* * *

**Date**: 9:45 AM, September 20th, 2174

**Location**: _Omaticaya Kelutral_, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Neytiri watched as her son spoke with his new mate and the other warriors of his young cabal. He was deep in planning, and had been ever since he had awoken, seeking to emulate his father in how Jake had originally planned their raids upon the _tawtute_.

It warmed her heart, but also filled it with sadness.

Her son, despite all of his bluster and words, truly loved his father, and wished to make him proud. Yet his father wanted nothing to do with his plans, and had even gone off, leaving the clan, without a word to explain his departure.

_Even to me._ He tail twitched behind her, attempting to swirl slowly in response to her rising depression.

As she watched, several of the older warriors moved past Tsu'tey, and ignored his ritual greeting as they headed out to begin the day's hunt.

_It is as though there are two clans, with bad blood between them, forced to live beside one another._ She watched with sadness as Tsu'tey watched them pass before shaking his head and resuming his debate.

It would hurt less if her mate stood beside her, ready to stand and fight for Eywa as he once did.

Now... now he doubted the Great Mother, doubted himself, his son, doubted _her_.

He was slipping back into the being she had first met in the forest so long ago, a warrior that did not know his own heart, lost and flailing in confusion.

And this time, he was not letting her hold onto him, guide him along the proper path.

_He is forgetting to See.. forgetting to hear the pain of the trees and the cries of Eywa as the animals are slain for no reason by the aliens. Forgetting the pain that they have caused and will continue to cause. I know that he gave his oath to them that he would not fight them, but he should still be here, supporting his son against them._

It was frustrating. He could do so much _good _here, with her. With him, those warriors who still had no desire to fight would fall in behind their son, would lend their wisdom and expertise.

Instead, it fell to her shoulders to convince those she could to raise their bows in Eywa's name.

She liked to think that she had done all that she could. As the future _tsahik _and daughter of her still remembered and lamented father, she had convinced many to fight for Eywa, reminding them who they were.

Others.. what the others had said worried her greatly.

"_The Olo'eyktan has given us duties that we cannot depart from, honored Neytiri._" one had said, and others had spoken in a similar manner, refusing to elaborate further.

That they spoke with the evasion so characteristic of the _tawtute_ had worsened many of the clans attitude regarding that group, but as they continued to hunt and bring in enough food to feed the clan even as Tsu'tey and the others prepared for war, there was little impetuous to demand more clear explanations.

Ean'atane had even suggested that perhaps Jake had told them to keep the clan fed and defend the _kelutral_ while the rest of the warriors went to battle. After all, that is what he had done years prior.

It was a neat enough explanation, but it did not explain why he had gone off on his own, or why her mother had become a complete recluse, speaking shortly to any who talked with her and spending the majority of her time meditating or communing with the forest.

She sighed and relaxed, shaking such thoughts from her mind.

_Once the aliens have been driven back to the stars, to their dying world, once more, we will be able to __be a family again, able to laugh, smile, cry, and comfort in peace._

_

* * *

_

**Date**: 11:48 PM, September 20th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

She could feel the light beating down upon her, even with her eyes shut, and the harsh metallic scent of _tawtute_ machines filled the air, as did a quiet, repeating sound she had not heard before.

Her body ached, especially her stomach. It was the deep-set ache of a wound slow to recover, rather than the stabbing pain of something fresh.

Grimacing, she opened her eyes slowly to blindingly white light.

Gasping softly, she shuts them swiftly.

Instantly she heard a _tawtute_ nearby exclaim something, and she heard several pairs of feet thundering about before two small hands rested on her lower arm and Norm'spellman's voice reached her ears.

"_Pey'ral, can you hear me?_"

Her throat was very dry, but she managed to croak out "_Yes._"

"_Do you remember what happened?"_

The fight with Tsu'tey. The blinding pain of his blade slamming into her body before everything had turned to black.

"_Tsu'tey._"

"_It tore you about pretty bad,_" the _toktor _spoke softly, "_We had to bring you to Tartarus to heal you, but you're going to be hurt for a very long time._"

That she would be injured for quite some time did not surprise her, that the _tawtute_ had healed her did.

"_Why?_"

Norm'spellman didn't try to misunderstand her as she would have expected many _tawtute _would have, "_To be honest, I do not know. Jake spoke with our leader as soon as you were injured, and whatever was said convinced her to send us to save you._"

She frowned lightly, and very slowly opened her eyes again, letting them adjust as best they could to the harshly unnatural light.

The room was a very odd shade of white, filled with various machines, all of which were emitting lights or noise.

Norm'spellman was standing at her side, watching her carefully, and another _tawtute_ _toktor_ lingered nearby, glancing over what looked like a tablet of some form.

Grimacing as the ache in her stomach deepened, she glanced over her own body, and felt her throat protest as she gasped quietly.

Wires from the machines and strange tubes were _connected_ to her _body_.

The _toktor_ noticed her gasp and her gaze, and he spoke quickly, "_It's ok Pey'ral! I'ts ok!"_

She tried to move her hands and arms to tear the devices out, only to grimace as her arms remained in place, her eyes finally noticing the cloth-looking bindings wrapped around her that prevented her from moving her arms.

"_Get them out!_" she hissed as best she could, her throat once more reminding her that it had no desire to continue to make noise.

"_They're keeping you alive! Calm down and listen, please!"_ he almost begged.

A few more vain struggles later she allowed her tired body to relax, and turned her head to glare at the _totktor_, letting her expression do the demanding for her.

"_They're keeping you alive._" he repeated, "_They're giving you medicine, right into your blood, so that it works as quickly as possible._"

She glared at him, and then at the tubes for a moment, noticing only now the ache that accompanied them.

"_When?_" she croaked out angrily.

He glanced at the other _toktor_ and spoke rapidly in his own tongue, the other man replied and he translated, "_We will have to speak with the senior healers, but he thinks it should only be a day or two before we can switch you over to other medicines, ones that you swallow._"

She continued to glare.

Hands held apart, he spoke placating, "_I know it isn't now, but you have to be patient or you'll do more damage to yourself, and then they'll have to heal you again, and then they'll be in for even longer._"

Giving the tubes another glare, she rested her head back on the strangely comforting object behind her and closed her eyes, trying to forget the sight of machine parts stretching _into_ her.

Trying to change the subject, Norm continued to speak, "_You've slept for two days now, since the duel. I know that you did knock Tsu'tey out but that he wasn't overly injured, but we haven't had any communication with the Omaticaya since then. John hasn't answered on the radio, and our Olo'eytkan doesn't want to send any of our warriors to see what is happening."_

The other _tawtute_ interjected something, and she listened with half an ear as he replied, footsepts moved around her before something cool was pressed to her lips.

"_Drink, you need the water." _Norm said softly.

She sipped carefully as he raised whatever cool container the water was held in to her lips. The water was strange, far more tasteless than she was used to, and very very cold.

It felt delicious running down her sore throat, even as the _toktor_ resumed talking, "_Nobody here knows what Jake is up to or what's going on. They're all preparing for war, the warriors are training constantly. I don't know what the plan is, they haven't told us much, or let us sit in on the meetings. The rumor is that they're waiting to choose between launching a land attack and avoiding killing non-warriors as much as they can, or.."_

She nodded and he took the water away as she finished, "_Or?_" she asked, already guessing the answer.

"_Or.. or just hitting you from as far away as their weapons can reach, destroying everything they can that way, and then... moving in and finishing what's left."_ he explained, sounding extremely uncomfortable.

Her spirit deflated slightly, though it was already sunk deep into misery, "_How long?_"

There was a long silence, "_Maybe.. maybe six or seven days. Maybe not that long."_

"_How long until I can walk on my own?_"

"_Very carefully, maybe six or seven days, but you won't be hunting anything for the rest of the season._"

"_So I will not be able to take part in the mess that I helped create._"

"_You didn't help create anything,_" his tone was suddenly absolute, causing her to open her eyes and blink blearily at him in surprise, "_You've done everything you can to prevent it, even putting your life on the line._ _Yes you failed, but at least you were able to try._"

"_I failed, and in doing so-_"

He reached out and rapped his small hand on her forehead, looking annoyed now, "_Yes, you failed to beat sense into the moron. At least you tried. What of his own mother, who roots him on? Or Jake? Who couldn't make up his mind until you got a spear slammed into your stomach? Or me and Max? Stuck here, unable to even try, only able to watch and grimace with each day's bad news._"

She blinked once more at him. The huntress had never heard the mild-mannered, always formal _toktor_ actually sound or looked annoyed before, and now, here he was, a being no larger than a child, berating and _lecturing_ her as though she was a mere infant.

What was worse, he was succeeding in making her feel like an infant throwing a tantrum as he went in to further, frustrated detail about what it was like to be forced to remain here, even as events unfolded within the _kelutral_ that he could do nothing to stop or change.

Smiling slightly as Norm'spellman finally wound down, she let herself drift amidst the comfort of the strange bedding, feeling sleep wash over her even she half-heartedly struggled against it.

Norm, not noticing that the person to whom he was delivering his diatribe was now fast asleep, continued on in his vain for nearly another pair of minutes before the nurse behind him snapped his fingers next to his head.

"Spellman! Spellman! She fell asleep dude." the nurse, sounding faintly annoyed as he moved past the slightly stunned doctor and began to check the various monitors.

Feeling rather foolish, and feeling his ears burn, Norm muttered "Oh." before beating a quick retreat towards the Apartment block, hoping that sleep might make him a bit less wound up for the next time she awoke.

* * *

Next up is Chapter 10: Rising Storms

So, this chapter would have been out several hours ago, but then the Philadelphia-Montreal game came on, and then the state of the union came on after that, so.. yeah, anyways, at least it isn't days late like I have a bad habit of.

This chapter started off a bit slow when I was writing it, but I really got into certain parts as you can no doubt guess, rather like how it came out, hope you all do as well.

As this chapter was the, effective, prelude to this act, in the next chapter we will see the planning begin full bore on both sides as all three factions gear up for war.

**Wow, loving the reviews, please keep them up!**

Also, I do try to respond to questions as best I can, but I can also be rather forgteful, so if I don't respond before the next chapter is up send me a PM cuz I probly forgot entirely.


	12. Chapter 10: Rising Storms

Cameron owns what is his, I own what is mine. Simple, no?

* * *

**Chapter 10: Rising Storms**

**Date**: 7:15 AM, September 23rd, 2174

**Location**: _Omaticaya Kelutral_, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

"_At the moment, including the Omaticaya, there are eleven clans that have pledged their support._" Ean'atane was telling him, "_Although the three plains clans have gone against what we discussed, one of their warriors arrived in the night to tell me that they were gathering and preparing to move as one._"

Tsu'tey hissed, "_Morons. The sky people can tell when we gather in numbers, we have to strike and move as individual clans._"

The rest of the warriors of the clan surrounded him, all looking grim as they sat and stood upon the ground within the tree. Other clan members would glance over as they moved about their morning chores, some offering smiles of comfort, others coldly ignoring them.

He sighed slightly, he and his mother had done all they could to try and get the support of the entire clan behind him, ever since Pey'ral had gone insane and challenged him to an honor duel of all things.

_And that is..._ he mentally sighed this time, utterly unsure about his former teacher. _I should not have accepted.. idiot, idiot, idiot. Once I clashed my spear with hers I guaranteed that the warriors that support her would never follow me._

What was more, he had injured, critically, the only elder warrior he still had any shreds of respect for. Yes, she could be a bitch. Yes, she had stopped him from spying on the _tawtute. _Yes, she had lost her way. But she was still the one who had taught him to hunt, who had helped his mother teach him how to move through the trees, who are brought him to the_ iknimaya_ as his parents watched.

His grandmother had laughed to herself when he returned home, to become a man, a full member of the tribe.

"_From your father, you learned how to think. From your mother, you learned how to see. And from your teacher, you learned how to be a warrior._" she had said during the ceremony.

He resisted the urge to let despair rise within him. Two of those whom he cared about the most were now gone. Pey'ral, injured by his own hand, was now forced to live in the home of the _tawtute_, healing. His father had vanished, telling no one of where he had gone.

Even his grandmother had become distant, spending her time with the former dream-walker, attempting to scry with visions to see what Eywa believed would come to pass.

His mother was doing her best to lead the clan in the interim, but he had begun to fear she faced an impossible task.

_The only way our clan will remain whole is if we drive the sky people away now. Once they have left, the other will see that Eywa and my mother were right, and everything can once more return to normal. _

Tsu'tey believed that with his whole being, and smiled slightly at his wondrous mate, bringing his mind back to the matter at hand.

"_Beloved, I can only trust you with this. Fly as fast as the wind can carry you, and tell them what they are doing is foolish, and to return to their respective trees to prepare."_ he told her, admiring the way her spots began to glow with embarrassed pride, "_Fly low and fast, we do not know if the demons already know what is happening._"

"_I will stay safe._" she promised, "_I would not miss my chance to fight by your side._"

Leaning over, she gave his a quick kiss, to catcalls from the assembled warriors who laughed and cheered, before she raced up into the tree as quickly as her limbs could take her, heading for the _ikran_ roosts.

Fighting to keep his own blush in check, he resumed giving direction to the rest of the warriors, "_If what we think is true, then the aliens are attempting to set a trap at their largest '_mine'_ for us. But traps only work if your prey does not know about it, and they are making the mistake of attempting to ensnare palulukan with a trap meant for yerik."_

Several of the other warriors chuckled at that, nodding and grinning.

"_Tonight, I want a messenger sent to all the clans who are with us. We must all move separately and carefully through the trees, from what my father once told me, their machines to see what happens within the jungle only works if there are many of us close together._" he explained, "_So we shall catch them by surprise by spreading out and hitting their 'trap' from every side at once."_

He went into further detail, carefully explaining how he wanted each clan to strike, stressing the need for cooperation, and reminding his warriors to equally stress the need to fade back into the trees once the machines were afire.

"_We are too few now to fight them in the open, we must do as my father thought we should have always done."_ Tsu'tey repeated for the umpteenth time, seeking to drive the point home, "_We cannot afford to lose warriors and loved ones in our first battle._"

And this would be just the first battle, he knew, of many.

_Perhaps that is why that Eywa was against this course those years ago._ He mused as the meeting began to dissolve, a few warriors headed for the _ikran_ roosts to bring messages to the others, while the rest began to prepare for the days hunt or training.

_Perhaps she had no wish to watch battles rage for a season. _The prospect did not fill him with glee, he would far rather fight a single battle and watch the aliens flee before them, but that had not worked before, and now they did not have the ability to try again.

_So father's method it is then.._

Sadness once again began to wash over him, and he glanced about the _kelutral_, seeing his mother speaking calmly with the weavers and giving him a slight smile.

_If only you were here father, you would see that we are going to do things the right way this time, and you will not have to worry about the aliens any more._

* * *

**Date**: 8:01 AM, September 24th, 2174

**Location**: Eastern Sea Clan Cove, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

He was very, very glad that when he had gotten horribly lost all those years ago, that it was Neytiri who had found him and not Tun.

Not that he had anything against her, or her clan.

The food on the other hand..

Jake had never been the largest fan of fish, or sea food in general, and it had completely escaped his mind when he made the decision to coordinate from her clan that that would be all they had to eat.

A hand slapped him across the back of his head and he grimaced as the cook berated him, "_You eat like a child, making faces and grimacing. Eat or I shall give it to your Ikran and you may go hungry._"

He paused to glare at her before swiftly forcing the rest of the food down his throat, trying to eat as quickly as possible to avoid the taste.

Managing, barely, to keep his stomach under control as he finished the meal, he nodded and muttered his thanks before rising and heading to the small plateau extending from the cave.

Tun was already waiting for him there, she nodded as he arrived and sat next to her, though she did not turn her gaze from the sea.

Taking that as his queue, he spoke quietly, "_The Green River clan's messenger already left, as did your messenger to my own clan."_

"_Most of the clans that would side with us are too far away to be summoned easily," _she replied, "_What clan do you intend to fly too this day?_"

He bit his lip and thought, "_To be honest, few of the local clans will side with us, most are among those who lost too many elders for reason to prevail. But.. I think I will travel to the Great Lake clan, and if there is enough daylight remaining I will go onto one of the mountain clans."_

"_The mountain clans are far away, and largely resolved to support Eywa._" she reminded him.

Jake nodded, "_I know, and I probably won't convince them to join us, but if I can make them think about what's happening, maybe they'll sit back for a bit, see what happens, instead of jumping in._"

He blew out his breath and leaned his head back, "_Of course, this is all dependent on what the sky people do. They don't like to sit on the defensive if they can help it, if Tsu'tey or anyone else slips up at all they'll hit them as hard and as soon as they can._"

She grunted in soft acknowledgment and rose, stretching her arms and arching her body back idly as she did so.

Jake instantly looked away and mentally berated the human half of his brain for its impurities.

"_I do not believe that we should travel to the mountains this day. Instead we should travel to the Green River clan and invite their Olo'eyktan to travel with us," _she glanced down at him as she spoke, "_Three clan leaders would have more of an impact than just one._"

Well, at least someone was able to think with politics in mind, because he sure as hell would never have thought of that, even though it did make plenty of sense now that she had said it..

"_Well, I was planning on leave soon, if that is alright with you._" he replied, glancing about to try and catch sight of his _ikran_.

"_Allow me to give some instructions to my warriors and take up my bow first._" she replied, moving back into the cavern even as he whistled for his _ikran_ to join him.

It did not take her very long to gather her bow and quiver and give whatever suggestions or orders she had, and then join him in the air.

The two clan leaders rose slowly over the water, banking inland as they cleared the shelf. Continuing their rise, Jake let himself relax as his _ikran_ carried him, letting his mind drift with the enjoyment of simple flight.

Finding the river that gave the clan its name was not difficult to find, the massive stream of liquid easy to spot from the air, and the pair of mounted _ikran_ bore their riders along the meandering course of the water.

_This is one disadvantage of flying as a Na'vi compared to as a human.. would be nice to be able to talk and plan with Tun about what we're gonna say as we fly, _he mused, even as he patted his mount's neck as its displeasure at the nature of his thoughts rippled through the link.

As the local sun approached its zenith, the massive _kelutral_ of the Green River clan came into sight, even kilometers away as it was. He had always liked the Green River clan's home, the way the _kelutral_ straddled the river, its roots digging deep into each bank.

By his reckoning, it was an hour or two after noon by the time they glided to a soft landing at the base of the tree.

The gruff leader of the clan was waiting for them, raising a hand in greeting, "_I see you, Jake'sully, Tun'txampay_."

"_I see you, Txep'mun'i_._" _he greeted in return.

"_Your messenger only just arrived, has the plan already changed?_" he gestured with one arm at a younger warrior that Jake recognized as the one who had been flying with news and orders between the two clans.

"_No, brother._" he explained, patting his _ikran_ along the neck before letting it amble to the water to drink, "_We were traveling to the Great Lake clan, and wished for you to join us, to show them that it is not a few who oppose the madness that comes._"

The older man took that in for a moment and nodded slowly, "_That seems a wise decision to make, though I believe that would support you alone, it would indeed show them more for us to travel together._ _I shall give your ikran time to rest and drink deep of our water, and then we shall fly as you command, their home tree is not far from here._"

Tun's _ikran_ had joined his own, and it was she who spoke next, in the tone of someone intending to pass the time, "_Have you heard any news brother?_"

Txep'mun'i grimaced, and nodded, "_My hunters heard a rumor from the Great Lake clan's own that several of the plains clans have begun to gather._"

Jake just stared at him, jaw dropping slightly.

"_Jake'sully?_" Tun asked, blinking concernedly at him.

He managed to find his voice, "_Are they INSANE!_"

The two other clan leaders continued to stare confusedly at him, though their tails curled in tension at his tone.

_My son would never have told them to do that, he isn't that stupid, which means the morons started on their own._

"_How long ago did you hear this?_" he demanded.

"_They told me of this last night, and I believe they encountered the other hunters the day before._" the other responded.

"Shit." he swore, "They already know."

The pair continued to blink and stare, and he belatedly realized he had spoken in english.

"_The sky people, they'll already know by now._" he explained, whistling his _ikran_ back, "_Their devices in the sky can tell when many of the people gather, it is how they know when we will strike."_

It was Tun's turn to swear violently, "_And you say that they will not be content to remain in their walls of stone and dirt, they will strike at them. Soon."_

She had already moved over to her_ ikran_, and Txep had let out a piercing whistle, answered by the cry of a rapidly descending _ikran_.

He did some mental imagining, the Great Lake clan's territory covered both part of the jungle as well as stretching out into the plains region.

"_We need to get to the Great Lake clan, make sure that all of their warriors and hunters are at their home tree or in the jungle._" he spoke even as he mounted up.

The local _olo'eyktan_ shouted orders even as more _ikran_ descended, warriors mounting up around them before they began to take to the air.

Jake gave the older leader a grateful nod for the escort he had not even thought, rather unintelligently, to ask for. The odds that the humans would attack them was low, as long as they stuck to the jungle, at least, that's what he hoped, but all in all, having the extra warriors with couldn't hurt.

Instilling urgency through the bond to his _ikran,_ they pushed off into the air and began to wing northwest as rapidly as their wings could take them.

* * *

**Date**: 9:12 AM, September 24th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

"_And you are SURE that all of the plains clans support Eywa?_"

Pey'ral glared at the _toktor_, "_For the fourth time, yes, I am quite sure, now why do you keep repeating yourself?_"

Max'patel grimaced and glanced at Norm'spellman before answering her, "_We have to make sure that the information is accurate._"

Part of her was a bit hurt that the two _toktors_ were using _tawtute _word games to try and divert her away from the matter at had, and the rest was rapidly becoming irritated with the both of them.

They had shown up this morning after she had awoken, along with the golden-haired _tawtute_ leader, and begun asking her detailed questions about which clan supported what side, who she thought would go what way, and on and on.

The first hour of it had been annoying enough, but now they kept asking questions they had already asked as though they hoped her to change her mind and say something untrue.

She hissed at them both in irritation, "_Tell me._"

Norm'spellman turned and spoke to the female quietly, and though she was not sure how well voice tone carried from one language to another, she thought he sounded very hesitant about whatever he was saying. She was not sure if that came from the fact that his leader intimidated him or if it was because what he was asking her.

The slim woman shrugged nonchalantly and replied, which in turn caused both of the _toktor_s to stare at her.

When neither said anything, their _olo'eyktan_ snapped something, and Norm'spellman turned back to her, licking his lips slightly.

"_She says we can tell you._" he said after a brief pause, then stopped.

She hissed at him again, and he stumbled onwards, "_Several... several of the plains clans are gathering, we... our warriors... they needed to know who those clans were gathering to fight."_

The injury had kept her immobile, and it still ached deeply, but it had not slowed her mind any, "_You are going to attack them._" She stated simply, her body slowly beginning to feel cold.

He nodded wordlessly.

She had just helped the aliens, given them knowledge to strike at her kin, estranged though they were. Her stomach churned at the thought.

_By the Great Mother's grace... by my ancestors... what have I done.._

"_How?_" she asked finally.

Max'patel answered her this time, speaking slowly, his voice soft and dead, "_Total force. A long-range bombardment to bring the tree down and kill everyone around it, then move in and finish off the survivors."_

Her eyes locked onto his and she simply stared.

"_It's called total war, or scorched earth. It isn't meant to conquer a people. It's meant to send a message."_ he continued on in the same tone, "_The message being that they have the power to kill anyone who opposes them._"

"_That.. that is.._" she managed to get out. Yes, she wanted the war stopped before it began. Yes, she had been willing to take up bow and spear against her own students.

That did not mean that she had meant to slaughter entire tribes, down to the last few elders and children, to prove a point. Many of the _tawtute_, the humans, were decent people, as Norm'spellman and Max'patel were. Both were obviously extremely bothered by what was happening. But others... their _olo'eyktan_ seemed to have no qualms about what was happening, what they were about to do. This was the very same woman who had spared Tsu'tey and herself so many weeks earlier, when she knew they both could have been slain.

_How do they do it.. be so normal, polite, even gracious in one breath.. and then utterly insane, depraved, and merciless the next?_

Norm'spellman's prior words came back to her, his frustration at being unable to stop what was coming. It was a long-shot, but maybe she could try here.

"_Doing that.. doing that will enrage Eywa and the other clans, it might even drive those who are undecided against you._" she told the two.

Norm'spellman relayed that to the woman, and in turn spoke her curt response back, "_They know, Pey'ral. They accept the latter as a risk... and plan on the former to occur._"

The back of her head sank deeper into the cushion, the stupidly comfortable cushion that suddenly seemed so welcoming, as the implications came through.

The _tawtute_ had no intent of letting Tsu'tey chose where and when to attack. They planned on both provoking him and crippling him in the same blow, making him act quickly and rashly rather than smartly and patiently.

It was as clever as it was horrible, especially to someone who knew all too well just how hot-headed the young man could be.

She tried to speak, only to choke at the thought of the words she had been about to utter passing her lips.

Shaking her head, she closed her eyes and ignored the inquiries of her health from the two alien males.

_Think... think before you act or you are no better than Tsu'tey and the others, who rely only upon their first impressions to See. Think about what you want to do and try and find the words to convince them. _

_They will not call off their attack, not if their plan is to enrage Tsu'tey and the others, it is the easiest and most sure way of doing so while still striking at those who would attack them anyways. Realistically, the only thing that I can do, Eywa help me, is lessen the blow against the clans they strike. _

"_The plan is to kill all who are there?_" she asked.

Another relay of translations.

"_She says that their plan is to kill any who resist them, anyone who offers no fight will be left alone."_

She needed a way to convince the woman that it was in their best interests to leave as many of the people alive as possible. Wracking her memory, she tried to remember how and why the ancient wars between clans were fought.

_Mates.. fighting over mates.._ _something about that.._

It came to her, "_Why not.. why not use the people to enrage them?_" she asked finally, calling to mind a tale of a stolen tribal beauty.

"_What do you mean?_" their _Olo'eyktan_ said through Norm'spellman.

"_Instead of killing everything that fights.. capture as many as you can."_ it was killing her to suggest the entrapment of her own people, but if the alternative was a cold death at the hands of the merciless.. she did not see any other option.

"_Use them as bait?_" came the response. Again, she was not sure how tones translated, but the woman's voiced sounded almost intrigued.

It literally hurt her throat to utter "Yes."

There was a long pause before the human woman responded once more through her translator, "_It is an interesting suggestion, it might make them far more cautious to attack us if they fear we will kill those we hold captive... but considering that the attack is preparing now. The bombardment will be conducted as planned, any survivors who do not resist will be taken captive and brought here._"

She grimaced, opened her mouth, shut it again as a bad taste flooded it. She wanted to argue, to try and convince the alien woman not to destroy the _kelutral_, but she was not sure what words to use.

"_That's as far as she is going to compromise."_ Norm told her quietly, "_Don't push it."_ Once more the golden-haired alien spoke, and once more the _toktor_ translated, "_The warriors will be leaving soon, if you want, we can bring you to the center of this place where their leaders will observe the battle._"

A quick shake of her head at that.

Another burst of guttural _inglisi_, "_Um, she's insisting."_

She responded with a groaning sigh, "_Fine._"

The three _tawtute_ excused themselves, leaving her alone in the small room once more.

Closing her eyes, she tried to relax, not think about the conversation that had just occurred.

The softness of the strange cushion behind her bed gave her some small comfort, but not quite enough to push what was to come from her tired mind.

* * *

**Date**: 12:30 PM, September 24th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

"I still say that this is rather late to be changing our mission parameters." Theodas told her over the radio system.

Maria Thomes gave him a slight, arrogant, shrug even though he could not see her "Regardless, your orders have changed, and they have not changed by very much. Capture anyone you can, kill anyone who resists. Considering the planned bombardment, I doubt you'll have more than a dozen or so concussed blue-skins to heard aboard."

The Colonel muttered something under his breath before continuing, "Very well Ma'am."

Smirking at his retreating form, she turned her eyes to the main holo-table and glanced over the newly revised formation, eying it even as the Colonel's voice switched over the full unit frequency.

"_All commands, the is Alpha Wolf, sound off readiness to begin Case Red._"

"_Desert Walkers, twelve ready to fly._"

"_Blood Falcons, infantry are aboard and we're ready to go."_

"_Death Knights, ground-pounders are itching to get off already."_

"_Shadow Blades, boy and girls are ready to kick some blue-skinned ass."_

"_This is Sigrun, ready to follow the First in._"

"_All commands sound off and ready, permission to launch."_

She flicked on her mic, "_This is Command. Permission to launch granted, kick-ass and take names._"

A Dragon gunship, twelve Scorpion gunships, thirty-six Samsons, and a Valkyrie shuttle began a choreographed take-off dance, whirling in a storm of machinery and noise as they began to head northwards.

Mentally she reviewed their slightly revised plan.

The journey to the plains region would take around three hours at cruising speed, they would take up positions roughly twenty kilometers from the target, and bombard the hell out of it with missiles and rockets. The bombardment would go on until either they hit their ammunition limit or the tree collapsed.

Whereas the original plan saw the troops dropping and then mopping up any and all survivors, the revised version saw them.. dropping and mopping up anyone who so much as looked sideways at them. Throwing Patel and Spellman the bone of capturing who they could would help keep them in line, and they did not need to know that neither she nor Theodas was truly expecting many prisoners.

_Speak of the devil and he appears_ she thought idly as Patel and Spellman came in, carefully helping the blue-skin huntress in an Avatar sized wheel-chair. She had no idea where they had found the thing, though the numerous make-shift repairs would seem to have indicated the old ruins in Hell's Gate as its place of origin.

The woman looked torn between feeling the pain of her injuries, irritation and worry over what was happening, and curious interest in the dozen odd computer stations and numerous holographic displays.

It was not until the three had arrived next to her at the main holo-table, and she began to ask questions with the good doctors answering them, that she began to re-think just how good of an idea it had been to bring her up here.

The thought had been to include the native woman in what was happening to make her feel more involved in the upcoming battles, show the battles looked from the human end.

_If a human can side with the blue-skins, maybe one of them can side with us, _had effectively summed up her idea.

Of course, having to stand and sit next to a trio of people talking in a foreign language for three hours, a conversation she would no doubt become involved in, was not something that would be enjoyable.

"Commander, mind if we borrow the holo-table for a minute?" Max asked, interrupting her thoughts.

_Yep. It is going to be a very, very long three hours._

* * *

Next up is Chapter 11: Burning Dreams

And here is your next chapter, where things are starting to get going again. Once more I have to apologize for the long delay between chapters, with work and personal projects once more getting in the way of writing.

Well, as it is, several of the Na'vi are, gasp, not acting with a high degree of intelligence and about to get hammered for it. Pey'ral is taking up Norm and Max's usual spot of being stuck in the middle and doing what she can to minimize the damage, while Jake is starting to get his own plans ready. Tsu'tey is getting ready to get his own game-face on as well, just to add to the upcoming confusion and chaos.

Hope everyone enjoys this chapter as much as the previous ones, and I should have another one for you.. well, sometime. A week at the very latest, but should be earlier than that.

**Keep up the reviews guys and girls, and I will keep writing!**

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Going to start having notes down here with every chapters, just with random bits about what i was thinking when i was writing or odd thoughts that i had, as well as the review responses.

As far as the last chapter goes, that was actually the first time i enjoyed writing jake. as a character, i feel he has a lot more.. personality, when he's wrestling with the whole human/navi issue than if he's all 'navi rulez!'. Expect to see more of that from him as the story goes on, including into the next act.

~ khaos974: saw that, and thank you massively once more for putting it up on TvTropes. as for the ultimatum/pre-emptive strike, i think this chapter more or less answered it. there will, of course, be repercussions for their actions.


	13. Chapter 11: Burning Skies

I own nothing that isn't from my own head.

* * *

**Chapter 11: Burning Skies**

**Date**: 3:21 PM, September 24th, 2174

**Location**: Horse Clan _Kelutral_, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

"_You have to listen brother, gathering the clans like this will do nothing but warn the sky people that we come for them."_ Ean'atane repeated for what felt like the hundredth time.

And, once again, the young _Olo'eyktan_ brushed her off, "_So? Let the demons know we come for them, it will help them not at all, and we shall finish the hunt our fathers and mothers began._"

She hissed softly in irritation. She had been at the _kelutral_ late in the previous day, and had been fighting against the stubborn refusal of all three clan leaders present from the moment her _ikran_ had landed.

"_We obey Eywa's will, as interpreted by the Tsahik."_ the male replied, glaring haughtily at her, "_Not your mates. He is a clan leader, like us, equal, not superior. It is his father who rode mighty toruk, not he. If he wishes to command us in battle, let him prove that he is truly the chosen of the Great Mother."_

And there was the crux of the problem. None of the _Olo'eyktan _or _Tsahik_ would listen to her, because neither she nor her mate had any real claim to leadership over them, at least, in their eyes. That they were following the original plans that Jake'sully had come up with to battle the aliens did not matter to them.

Not finished with proving his 'superiority' over her, he continued, "_We will not fight like cowardly sky people, we shall fight as the people have always done, and drive the aliens before us. We came within a tail's length of defeating them before, and I _shall _avenge my father and all of my kin who died in that unholy place, and that is the end of it._" With that, he turned and stalked off, tail flicking behind him.

She was half tempted to follow Pey'ral's example, as much as that angered her, and challenge him to a duel over his idiocy.

_But you are not of his clan, he is the clan leader and would not accept, and you would destroy any chance you have of doing as Tsu'tey asked of you._ Her mind reminded her, unhelpfully.

Shaking her head in disgust, she turned away from the tree, tail thrashing angrily with her ears pulled back to warn everyone away from her, and stalked out into the wide plains. It would have been so less frustrating had they merely listened to her words, and by extension, to her mate's plans. Instead, all that had happened was that they had become more convinced that the three of them were more fit to lead the strike than Tsu'tey.

Making her way to a small boulder, thrust up from the soil by the roots of the massive _kelutral_, she climbed upon its cool surface and sat down, trying to think through what options she had left.

There really were not many open to her.

_I could go back home, and admit that I could not convince them. All that has happened here has gone against what I hoped to accomplish. Stupid morons!_ She struck her hand down her frustration, only to yelp in embarrassed pain as it struck the hard surface of the rock.

Light laughter drifted through the wind, and she knew that it was directed at her own idiocy.

Shaking her head even as her markings glowed with shame, she lowered her head and held her face in her hands.

_Best to leave soon then, head into the tree and mount your ikran, and head home to where you are not an outsider. Perhaps stop at a nearby clan, see what news they have and.. _An idea came to her, _Perhaps the Great Lake clan? Their leaders did not choose who to side with at the Great Meeting, perhaps I can convince them?_

It was far better than going home empty handed, and even if she failed, it would at least prove to Tsu'tey and the others that she had been able to try something in light of her original mission failing.

_Remind them of Eywa's will, and the vision the assembled Tsahik saw that night. Tell them of my mate's goals and plans, and how they are in line with what Toruk'makto first wanted to do, before Eywa allowed her impatience to cloud her sight. _She was becoming more excited by the minute as she thought out her plans.

Rising to her feet, she glanced skyward to check the position of the sun, nodded to herself, and began to turn to head back into the tree to fetch her _ikran_ from the upper branches when she froze.

White lines covered the sky, racing from the forest's direction directly towards the _kelutral_.

She barely had time to blink before the first one, clear to her eyes for a single moment as a long object with a burning end, struck the tree and exploded.

A wall of air struck her before she could even think to react, hurling her off the boulder and to the ground, her back screaming in sudden pain at the force of the impact.

Coughing, she struggled to her hands and knees before another explosion ripped into the upper branches.

_La'i!_ Her mind screamed her _ikran_'s name as the fire roared through the leaves and slender wood.

And then everything became sound and fire as more of the alien weapons began to arrive, some exploded upon the massive bark of the tree. Others exploded in mid-air, showing fire and pieces of metal upon those exposed upon the ground. Yet more slammed into the ground about the tree.

After the first few moments of buffeting wind and roaring heat, everything became a blur to the young warrior. She tried to struggle away from the _kelutral_, but each time she rose to try and run yet another explosion would tear the air and she would be flung to the ground.

Curling up beside the boulder she had once sat upon, she could hear screaming as yet more trails from the weapons appeared above her.

It was not until she felt her throat tear that she realized it had been her who had been screaming. Clinging her limbs and tail to her body, with that realization she took what shelter the boulder offered and whimpered and screamed as the fire continued to rain.

What felt like an eternity later, the sound slowly faded into the quiet crackling of a roaring fire, and she carefully raised herself up to look at the tree.

The entire facing was afire, from the very base to the top branches. Great gouges, as though a great beast had gnawed upon the bark, covered the tree. In a few places, it looked as though holes and been burned through the tree to the inner chambers.

Slowly, the quiet cracking noises began to raise in volume, and she realized in horror that it was not the fire she had been hearing, it was the _keltural_ beginning to tear itself apart from the stress of remaining upright.

She watched, unable to tear her eyes away as it began to fall, slowly at first, then with more speed, the trunk twisting unnaturally along the various gouges, almost seeming to collapse within itself even as the upper sections simply fell, hurling through the air.

Later, she would remember and be glad that the massive tree had twisted as it fell, falling far from where she had stood numbly watching, but for that moment, all she could feel was horror and the sight of something thousands of seasons old, a beautiful home to the People, being destroyed.

Others who had survived, somehow able to get out from the _kelutral_ before it fell, or who had been outside tending to the _pa'li_, were likewise staring, weeping, crying with horror and rage. A few had the presence of mind to start tending to the wounded.

Walking forwards, slowly, as though she were in a dream, she tried to gather her thoughts together.

_Help. You have to help who you can._

Moving more quickly, with more purpose, she knelt next to a battered elder who was clutching at her arm, blood seeping from a gash along it.

Carefully unbinding her cloth top, she wrapped it around the older woman's arm and tied it tightly, "_I will find a healer for you_." she promised.

The older woman's face had paled suddenly, and she woodenly raised an arm and pointed at something behind Ean'atane.

Turning, she felt her stomach drop and a vile taste rise into her mouth.

The aliens were coming, swooping down in their _kunsips_ with natural precision and speed, dust and loose grass hurling through the air as the wind of their machines reached the ground.

Even as she watched, several began to slowly circle the area even as others drifted towards the ground.

She reached for her bow before cursing with the realization that it had been with her _ikran_, and instead she seized her knife from the sheath upon her thigh. It would likely do her little good, but any weapon was far better than none at all.

Sinking into a crouch over the wounded woman, she watched as the massive _kunsip_, looming like some great insect, roared slowly overhead before settling into place, unmoving as the wind from its machines buffeted her.

Squinting upwards at its metal belly, and cursing her lack of her bow yet again, she watched as sections of metal pealed out, and massive machines leaped from within the darkness.

The ground shook with the impact of their landing, and the elder beneath her gave an involuntary sounding shriek of fear as the sight of the massive machines became clear.

Ean'atane had heard her mate's story of how the aliens painted their machines for war rather than their own bodies, but his descriptions had not done them justice.

Each was unique, painted to resemble beasts that she had no reference to, her mind only able to discern that they were creatures meant to be feared.

One turned to face her and the woman she sheltered, and lowered the massive weapon it carried at her as it bellowed something in its own language.

She hissed and spat at it in response, tensing her body to spring at the unholy thing.

Laughter boomed from the _tawtute_ coward sheltered within the skin of metal, and raising the weapon, it struck with its other hand, moving far faster than she thought the heavy metal would be able to.

Screeching with pain as the blow hurled her to the ground, sending her knife flying, she struggled to rise, to find her weapon, to fight back.

Even as she gathered herself, cold metal wrapped around her chest and she felt herself rising into the air.

The machine that held her turned her over, and underneath of the snarling image upon the contraption's head she saw a thin slit of a translucent material, through which she could see a _tawtute_ male staring at her, in particular at her bare chest.

She spat at it and struggled violently to escape from the metallic hand.

Booming laughter again echoed from the abomination shortly before her breath left her, pain shooting through her stomach and chest as the fist squeezed tighter.

The pressure eased off after a moment, leaving her gasping and coughing for air, and she was only dimly aware of the elder she had tried to help being forced to her feat and pushed along before the machine, even as it began to carry her.

The distinctive _crack_ noises of alien weapons occasionally split the air, and she belatedly realized that she was not the only one that they had taken alive. _Tawtute_, both in their machine shells and in their child-sized natural forms were rounding up the wounded and stunned and directing them via their weapons towards...

_That is a shah'tell!_ She had never seen one before, only heard the descriptions, and the sheer size of the machine stunned her, the gleaming white and black plates over the exterior shone with the lights of the sun and the fires of the _kelutral_'s remains.

The looming presence of the large _kunsip_, which seemed almost small beside the landed _shah'tell_, hovered nearby, the strange protrusions that were most likely weapons were slowly tracking the people as they were being funneled into the machine's bowels,.

She had no desire to be taken captive by the creatures, and tried to struggle against the cold metal pressing against her.

A few moments later, after gasping for air once again after the fist contracted about her warningly, she hung limply and simply stared at the increasing crowd within the _shah'tell_.

A massive commotion broke out to her left, and she started her head in that direction.

The local clan leader had apparently managed to get several warriors who still had bows together, they were taking shelter amidst the upturned roots and charred remains of the _kelutral_'s base. Alien weaponry was tearing their cover apart, occasional streaks of light marking the passage of the tiny arrows of their weapons as they roared through the air.

Ducking out occasionally, the warriors fired back, arrows sailing through the air toward their tormentors. From what she could see, a pair of _tawtute_ lay unmoving, with several others shouting what sounded like curses as they were forced to hurl themselves out of the way.

For a moment, she dared hope that they might be able to accomplish something, and then one of the metallic beasts thundered over, and raised it's own weapon even as arrows rebounded off its metal skin.

It only struck her that the weapon it held was different than the rest were carrying, appearing as several smaller tubes held in place by circular bands, after it fired. Rather than the deep roar she had occasionally heard, a long tearing sound split the air, and fire roared several tail lengths from the end of the weapon even as metal rained from the machine's side.

The results... were horrifying. The soil, the cover, the warriors, all vanished in a haze of destruction as the weapon tore everything before it into pitiful shreds.

When it ceased firing, a few moments later, no arrows emerged from the devastation. She could only dimly make out a few unmoving blue forms, and she retched pitifully over herself and the machine as she saw the amount of blood that she could see covering the wood and ground.

The _tawtute_ within the machine carrying her made a grumbling noise, but continued to carry her to the base of the _shah'tell_, where it unceremoniously dropped her before moving away.

Ean'atane was only vaguely aware of several others helping her to stand and move into the cold, metallic interior of the machine.

Behind her, the last survivors were likewise herded aboard, before the massive doorway pulled up, closing with a massive clang, trapping them within the belly of the beast.

* * *

**Date**: 3:59 PM, September 24th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Pey'ral watched on the strange device as the small icons representing the _tawtute_ machines began to pull away from the scorched earth behind them, falling into formation once more for their flight back to the base.

_It was so.. uninvolved. _

She had watched the entire attack, listened even if she did not comprehend, to the leader aiding in directing the battle, listened to her remark upon it to the other _tawtute_ nearby.

There had been no sense of struggle, no sense of the battle itself at all. It had all been cool, focused, and directed.

_This is how they make war.. from afar, with little passion, only a burning need to eliminate what has angered them._

It both disgusted and frightened her. This was how they had looked when they destroyed her clan's _kelutral_, all those years past. Unexcited, almost bored, as they loosed destruction and devastation upon her people.

She had no doubt that the warriors themselves, out there upon the ground and in the air, would be quite passionate and involved, they were meeting with their enemies face to face upon the field of battle after all. But to see the way their leaders functioned, able to direct a battle a half a day's _ikran_ flight away..

Shuddering, she looked at Norm'spellman and asked, "_How many did they spare?_"

He asked his _olo'eyktan_, who in turn spoke to the air, something she had learned meant the _tawtute_ was speaking with someone far away via their machines, before she spoke to the _toktor_ again.

"_They estimate that there was around two hundred of the People there, one full tribe plus the warriors of two others. They captured eighty three, and guess that as many as twenty might have escaped on pa'li or on foot, they did not bother to chase any who managed to get away."_ he informed her.

"_A hundred of the people slain, a full clan dead, their home-tree destroyed."_ she spoke more to herself than he, feeling weights settle in across her shoulders as depression slid into her spirit.

"_Without your suggestion, it would have been twice as many slain,_" Norm reminded her, "_Sometimes... sometimes you can only save a few, but today you saved many._"

She nodded slowly. What he spoke was true, but it did little to lessen the pain.

"_The leader of their workers is building a temporary shelter for the captives,_" he told her, "_Out near the field where we play games. It will be primitive.. well, by sky people standards, but it will be enough for them to stay until the battles are.. resolved. "_

Turning her head, she regarded him frankly, "_Until Tsu'tey and those who follow him are dead you __mean._"

The pale man winced but nodded slowly.

_And then where will they go.. how many of them are from the clan whose home tree was destroyed.. will they join another clan, found their own?_

A burst of language from the _tawtute Olo'eyktan_ cut off her grim thoughts, and she turned to the _toktor_ for translation.

"_She says that they'll be here in three hours or so, and that she wants you out there to help keep everyone calm when they get off the shah'tell, if you're up to it._" he provided.

She glanced down at herself. She thought she could walk on her own, but the _toktor_s had put their tiny feet down and forced her to use the strange rolling contraption, saying that they did not want her to fall and tear her stomach open again.

That wasn't the only thing they had insisted on, her body was covered in _tawtute_ styled cloth, the kind that the dreamwalkers had once worn. The top was loose enough not to put pressure on her belly, but the feeling of cloth over her legs, chest, and arms still felt unnatural.

When she had asked about it, both _toktor_'s skin had turned a flushed red color and they had stammered out that amongst _tawtute_, to show so much skin was considered indecent.

That, in turn, had led to her reminding them that she was not a _tawtute_ and that such a thing was stupid anyways, which had led to a history lesson to explain why it was that way amongst their own people and finishing with saying that she would be a distraction otherwise. She had not really understood all of it, but had accepted that it was another insane _tawtute _thing and that they would not let her out of her small recovery room otherwise. As much as she had little desire to watch the battle or really take part in any _tawtute _plans, it was very nice to be able to leave the small space and _do_ something.

"_Will they even want to listen to me, dressed and wounded as I am?_" she asked softly.

"_They will. They listened to Grace, didn't they?_ _And you're wearing her clothing._" Max'patel replied from his place at her other side.

She started, "_These were Grace's?_"

"_Yep. Don't know why we kept them, to be honest with you, but those were hers."_ the shorter _toktor_ replied.

She stared at the cloth coverings she wore, at the strange symbols on the top half and the odd pouches that decorated the coverings over her legs.

"_What do these symbols mean?_" she touched the yellow figures on her chest lightly.

"Stanford." Norm said, pronouncing it slowly and clearly. "_It is the place of learning that Grace went to on our homeworld, where she was taught._"

Suddenly they did not feel as discomforting as they once had.

Again, the _tawtute_ leader spoke something and gestured with a slim arm towards the entryway, and the _toktors_ replied, Norm'spellman moving behind her to help direct her.

"_Where are we going?_" she asked softly, reaching down to spin the wheels.

"_Where do you want to go? We have some time to pass._" Max'patel responded, walking beside her as they left the control room.

She wanted to go back to the _kelutral_, impossible as it was.

"_Not back to the healing room._" is what she said out loud.

"_Going crazy in there?"_ Norm asked from behind her, voice teasing.

"_Yes._" she replied vehemently.

The two _tawtute_ laughed a bit at that, and guided her along the various corridors, with seemingly no end goal in mind.

Gazing into the strange rooms and at the numerous machines decorating the walls and ceiling was interesting enough, on it's own. The cramped space did remind her uncomfortably of the memories she held long buried, but the pristine white lights were far easier upon her mind than the soft glowing blue that still haunted her, and she had been able to keep her mind under control.

_Mostly_. She thought bitterly. Dreams, nightmares, both had come with increasing frequency since her injury, as much as she loathed them. Dreams her mate, whom she would never see again, and nightmares of the battle in which she lost her.

Somehow she had a sneaking suspicion that the _tawtute_ knew about her nightmares, from the sympathetic way the other _toktor_s treated her in the morning before Max'patel and Norm'spellman arrived.

Of course, even if they were sympathetic and knew of them, she had no way to communicate with them. Some _inglisi _had come back to her after hearing it constantly, but not enough for her to engage in conversation with any of the _tawtute_.

They had moved into a more open room as she thought, and the smatterings of conversation and the smell of strange food indicated it was their place to eat.

The _toktor_'s guided her to a table where several other _tawtute _sat, all of whom greeted her guides and regarded her inquisitively before resuming their conversations with each other.

She strained her ears, trying to catch at least the basics of what they were speaking, before realizing that whatever language they spoke, it was not _inglisi._

"_What language do they speak?"_ she asked, frowning at the others at the table, "_It sounds like inglisi, but is not._"

"German." Norm'spellman told her, "_It is related to inglisi, but can be both very similar and very different._"

"_How many languages do the sky people have?"_

"_No idea. Hundreds, even if only a few people speak most of them, and a few hundred more that no one speaks anymore." _Max'patel told her, leaning back in his small chair, "_There's eight or so major languages though, and inglisi is usually the accepted trade language._"

She blinked at that, hundreds of languages? Perhaps that was a reason they fought amongst themselves all the time, if they could not all understand one another.

"_Why inglisi_?" she asked Norm'spellman, even as Max excused himself to bring them food.

"_The people who spoke it once had an empire that ruled a very large portion of our world. Even after their empire shrank, a very large number of people still spoke the language they did._" he provided, "_That was over two hundred seasons ago now, and several other languages have become more prominent, but it is still the most widely used one._"

Somehow it did not surprise her that the language had been spread by one people conquering others.

Before she could press the line of questions, Max returned with several plates of food and glasses of liquid. He handed her the one of clear water, even as he and Norm took cups containing a strange orange liquid, both of them also had plates of bizarre food.

Sipping at the water, she watched the pair eat and converse with their fellow _tawtute_. The two seemed to be relating what had happened with the attack, judging by their subdued tones and the grim faces of the others.

After listening for a time, she let her eyes drift to the food they were eating. It seemed to be small pieces of meat mixed with a hefty dose of some form of red cream and small yellow.. things that looked sort of like worms, or plants.

"_What is that?_" she asked finally, when there was a break in the discussion.

"Pasta._" _Max replied after he swallowed, "_The meat is from a tiny sea animal, the _noodles _are made from a plant, and the sauce is from a fruit._"

"_Can I have some?_"

Both turned to blink at her.

She repeated her request, and the two leaned around her to speak quickly in _inglisi._

"_Well, it should be safe. I think._" Norm said to her eventually, offering her the tiny utensil and his own place.

Carefully picking up the tiny object, she managed to spear a piece of the meat, and at the _toktor_'s instruction, wrapped the 'noodles' about it and made sure there was plenty of sauce, before carefully raising it to her mouth and tasting it.

"_It tastes like Teylu_." she told them, after swallowing. _"Though the '_noodles'_ have little flavor. The sauce is.. interesting._"

The two chuckled and nodded, and she occasionally ate from Norm's plate as the time passed, but spent the majority of her time attempting to discern what was being said. Occasionally she would recognize a word or short phrase, but the rest remained incomprehensible.

As they rose and prepared to move out again, she reminded herself to ask one of them about relearning _inglisi_ in the future.

* * *

**Date**: 4:22 PM, September 24th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

"Still can't believe you're making my guys set up the tents and stuff for the blue-skins." Parker muttered, causing her to glare irritatedly at him.

Maria Thomes had been in a fairly good mood after the completion of the attack, after all, they had taken far more prisoners than they had thought they would. It had proven the theory that she and Kozlov had come up with after the successful charge at the end of the Battle of Tartarus. The blue-skins did not cope well with 'shock-and-awe' style assaults.

"It's just tents" she reminded him, her own voice growing irritated with her lover's complaints, "They can dig their own latrines, and do whatever else they need. Your men have plenty of time to kill with the mining slow down, it won't kill them to do some work."

Parker knew her well enough by now to recognize a tense issue when he saw it, "I'm just saying that they'll probably bitch, but I'll keep them in line."

She grunted and nodded, glancing again at the holo-image marking the attack group's progress home. They would not return until after nightfall, and despite the overwhelming success of the attack, and the lack of any detected movement from the other clans, she was still slightly on the edge.

If Tartarus was attacked before the group returned, they had only the _Mountain Rain_ squadron of Samsons to cover their ground forces, which were thinned very much by the Second's absence.

She would feel much better when Theodas and his two companies returned.

Glancing surreptitiously at Parker as he walked off to start his own duties, she mentally groaned. She would also feel much better if she had some time to.. relax, with him, but given everything that they needed to get done before the group returned, what would have to be done as far as getting the blue-skins situated and guards posted around them, she would be lucky if she managed to work up the energy to shower before she collapsed into her bunk.

Flicking her earpiece on, she waited for the communications officer to patch her through to Theodas.

"Alpha Wolf this is Command, sitrep." she began, seeking to at least get a basic debriefing done now rather than add it to the list of things to do at night.

"It went fairly well Command. Natives were stunned by the bombardment, lost whatever banshees they had when the tree went down, and most of their dire-horses bolted. A few tried to fight back, but most acted like they were concussed." The Colonel reported.

"How did the weaponry perform?"

"Missiles functioned well, we needed far fewer than we thought to bring the target down. The mini-gun armed AMP suits performed very well, largely thanks to one of them that we were able to put down what resistance there was so quickly, I'm putting that driver up for a commendation and promotion for quick action and thinking. Scared the hell out of the natives even further."

She nodded, "I'll approve it. No reason to deploy the snipers?"

"Negative, what few left the area did so before we arrived, and I did not see the need to pursue."

That earned a grunt of approval, "What is the status on our prisoners?"

"Still in shock according the guards aboard. We might have issues later, but for now, no problems."

"Try to keep them alive." she reminded him, "Killing them doesn't do us any good."

"Of course ma'am." the Colonel replied easily, "We should arrive back on schedule."

"Command out." the signal cut and she sighed, rubbing her temples. Theodas still was not quite on board with the idea of taking captives, his tone betrayed that much. She knew that a large portion of the soldiers would also be equally unenthusiastic, except perhaps Kozlov's men and women.

She knew that constantly patting the Russians on the back was leading to rivalries and accusations of favoritism, but to be honest, she was not sure of how else to keep their morale up. The unit had been through hell in the last battle, had lost half of their men, fought their way through the jungle to find and see the devastation of the base, been forced to clear the dead and treat the wounded.

Then, to further hammer them down, they had been the sole protectors of the base in the long gap until the next troop deployment, in a time where everyone was on the edge and extremely twitchy about the slightest hint of any form of native aggression.

The Third Company would fight and die to protect Tartarus and the people within, she knew that, but they were also tired, beaten, and weary. The pathetically few American survivors from the engineering company were the worst, when she saw them, all bore haunted looks in their eyes, as though they wondered every moment why they had lived when their friends died. They would fight if they had to, but none of them looked forwards to it like the new arrivals still did.

Which led to another option she was contemplating, shuffling the men from company to company to break up the old nationalities. It would be resisted, probably by all sides, but including the world-weary veterans amidst the newcomers might temper some of the aggression and remind everyone that they were here for unobtanium, nothing else.

If the natives interfered, they would be driven back, if the natives left them alone, they would be left alone in turn.

She brought up the most recent message from Terra, reading it yet again. It had arrived shortly after the more banter styled message, and was not nearly so cheery.

**Sent**: September 24th, 2174

**To**: UNEF, Pandora

**From**: UNG, Terra

Reminder: Unobtanium sole goal. Green movement protests risen recently.

Do not repeat late RDA actions unless absolutely necessary.

Short, but simple and to the point. The renaissance mentality back home had most likely inspired the nature and eco-friendly groups to start protesting over humanity's involvement with the Na'vi again, and while the government, and the majority of the population, would not care as long as the unobtanium flowed, it still made for bad press if all the news from Pandora was violent and bloody. People, even those in the 'do whatever it takes' group, wanted to see the light at the end of the tunnel after several years since their return.

The last caveat made it clear to her that if the alternative was another massive battle, she was clear to do as she saw necessary, but overall her goal was unobtanium, first, last, and only.

Rubbing her temples again, she groaned as a headache began to creep in.

_Of course we get this just when things are heating up again. Don't over-complain, think, plan, act as best you can, and deal with the consequences later. First, call for a full staff meeting tomorrow to go over what message to send to the natives via Patel and that Avatar who is still there. Second, figure out what to do with the prisoners. Thirdly, how best to change our company's format as to temper our own people's warhawk feelings._

She ran through everything else that is going on.

_And we_ still _have no idea where Sully is or what he is doing, _she cursed aloud, drawing some amused glances. After the conversation regarding saving the huntress and he, in return, promising to deal with his son, he had dropped off the map completely. Patel said the clan had no idea where he had gone, only that he had vanished with his banshee the morning after the duel.

_Our best chance for this to go right for us is for the natives to either realize how powerful we are and back off, for Sully to pull something out of his blue ass and stop his son, or for his son to suicide rush us and get slaughtered. In that order._ She had serious doubts about the first two, and quickly brought up her mail box and banged out a message to Parker, reminding him to keep his civilians ready to fight if they had to.

Just before she could close the box, a message from the _Dream_ came in and she groaned aloud at the sight of the massive compressed file of paperwork attached.

_It never rains when it can fucking pour._

_

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**Next up is Chapter 12: Grim Certainty**

As usual, I greatly enjoyed writing the attack sequence, hope you all enjoy it. Case Red has been launched, and three clans taken out of the picture for Tsu'tey. Next chapter you'll see how Jake and Tun react to what happened, as well as their allies, what Tsu'tey thinks about his mate being missing/dead, and how Parker and the other humans react to having a hundred na'vi being kept prisoner next to the football pitch.

And after that... all hell is gonna break loose :).

**As always, I appreciate all reviews, so please please please, keep them up!**

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**Author's Notes**

This chapter is another case of 'I wrote the whole chapter, looked at it, read it, looked at it sideways, decided I hated it, and rewrote the entire thing.'. Originally the POV's were Tun (bombardment), Theodas (attack), and Pey'ral (aftermath) but I did not like how it flowed at all, and went with Ean'atane to show a first-hand view of the strike, adding in Thomes and her command issues so that it wouldn't be a pure Na'vi pov chapter.

As for the review responses:

**~Empath**: If you dislike my work, that is fine, I can't make you like it, but please provide a better argument to back your point if you want me to take it seriously.

**~someone & thecrimsontag**: while I do thank you very, very, very much for defending the fic, please don't feed the trolls.

If anyone wants to debate the morality/ethics of my fic, feel free to open a discussion thread on the forums here for it and I will happily take part, but please leave reviews for reviews.

~ Kat


	14. Chapter 12: Grim Certainty

As much as I wish I was a billionaire, I don't own Avatar.

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**Chapter 12: Grim Certainty**

**Date**: 7:18 PM, September 24th, 2174

**Location**: Valkyrie shuttle _Sigrun_, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Ean'atane grimaced as the machine shuddered and shook, its roar slowly fading as it seemed to settle in place. The other people within the beast's belly were likewise grimacing at the motion and noise, glancing around at each other questioningly, which struck her as stupid.

_None of us have ever been aboard a sky person abomination, why look at others as though they know what is happening. _

She was seated along one of the walls within the machine, legs and tail drawn up to her chest as she hugged them with her arms. The elder she had tried to help, and who in turn had helped her aboard, was seated next to her, head bowed in exhaustion.

The majority of the older people aboard were mimicking her, the events of the day, first the sudden attack, then being forced aboard a _tawtute_ _shah'tell_ to go who knows where had beaten them down both mentally and physically. Most of the younger persons were not in better shape. Mothers and fathers clung to what few children that they had managed to save from the tree, the children crying silently or succumbing to exhausted sleep. Others were simply staring into space, as though they could not believe what had happened to them.

She had spent most of the trip as one of the latter, her mind struggling to process everything that had happened.

Several loud clangs carried through the hold, and the hatchway that had sealed them within began to lower, the air rippling strangely as it did so. Her noise recoiled as the incoming air carried with it the harsh scent of far too many machines operating nearby.

_That means..._

Numerous _tawtute_ were waiting for them, weapons held in their tiny hands, and they shouted and beckoned for the People to emerge.

When none did, they spoke quietly in their tongue amongst themselves before one turned a ran off.

"_What do you think they are going to do with us?_" the elder whispered softly, one eye opened to pear blearily at the waiting aliens.

"_I do not know._" she responded softly. She longed for a weapon of some kind, even her knife, useless though it would be against them. Everyone remained within the_ shah'tell_, staring down the waiting _tawtute_, who gazed impassively back up at them.

After some time of staring, three new forms appeared along with the _tawtute_ who had originally run off. Two more _tawtute_ wearing their strange masks, along with..

"_Pey'ral!_" she couldn't keep her voice down, nor the shock out of it.

The senior huntress was seated in some kind of contraption, and her skin had the pale tone of the seriously ill. Her voice was clear, however.

"_Ean'atane. I would say that it is good to see you, but as your mate is the reason I am here, I can not say that."_

Her spots flushed with embarrassed anger at that, and she rose with a soft hiss, only for all of the _tawtute_ to raise their weapons and direct them at her.

Freezing in place, she slowly sat down once more.

One of the _toktor_'s, she thought his name was Max-something, spoke loudly and clearly in the people's tongue, "_Everyone, please, come out. You are not going to be harmed here."_

A male, one of the few surviving warriors, slowly rose and called back, "_And how do we know that your words are not fake, as all sky people words are?_"

The _toktor_ spoke something to another _tawtute_, who was apparently a leader of some sort, before responding, "_You do not. What I can promise is that they are not going to let you all sit in there forever, and they'll go in with their walking machines and pluck you out one by one if they have to."_

The warrior opened his mouth to say something else before an elder rose and smacked him across the back of his head. The old male muttered something she could not hear and slowly made his way out and down, pausing to look around once he left the _shah_'_tell._

"_There is no sense remaining in there."_ Pey'ral spoke loud enough to be heard over the quiet murmuring the elder's passage had left, "_They treated my wounds and have brought me no harm, and they have some food and plenty of water waiting._"

At the mention of food and water, a few more left, largely those with young. Like the elder, they paused and stared about as they reached the ground, before the _tawtute_ directed them away. As more of the People left, more joined them, soon becoming a steady stream.

Eventually, she found herself nearly alone, only a few other warriors remaining stubborn within the beast.

The wounded huntress glanced aside at something and grimaced, before turning to call up at them again, "_One of their machines is coming. They were not speaking an untruth when they said they would pull you out._"

Ean'atane grimaced and placed a hand over her stomach at the memory of the cold metal squeezing her body tightly. Somehow she had no doubts that the machine could have crushed her to death, had the alien within had the mind to.

_You cannot escape and warn your mate from within here._ Her mind reminded her, _Go along with what they want until you can find a way out._

Shakily, she rose, "_Come. We do our kin no good in here._"

She made her way down and out, the other warriors slowly following, nearly running into her as she stopped to stare around her as her feet left the cool metal to rest in the soft dirt.

It was... very different from viewing it from afar. Alien geometry covered their home, strange shelters of metal and stone, covered in unnatural lighting, dominated the scene. Overhead, the dozens of _kunsips_ were slowly descending, many already sat upon a raised platform of some sort, _tawtute_ swarming over them.

Nearby, a pair of the walking machines slowed, having in truth been on their way to pull them out of the _shah'tell_. Unlike the ones she had seen before, and unlike the one she had been held by, these seemed.. different. Gleaming metal shown over their bodies, and the paints looked mismatched, as though pieces of various machines had been thrown together to create a new abomination.

The _tawtute_ nodded to her as the other warriors finished coming out, and gestured for her to follow the other people, who were now moving into an area surrounded by thin metal walls of some kind, the same as she had seen in other places.

Pey'ral, propelling herself by spinning the odd wheels upon which she sat, moved up next to her, "_What were you doing there?_"

She gave the older woman a glare, "_And what is it for you to know?"_

The huntress seemed to mull it over for a moment, "_Trying to get them to follow your idiot mate's lead?_"

Stopping in place, she hissed at her, "_Do not refer to him like that!"_

That earned her a snort as Pey'ral also stopped, and looked up at her, "_I will refer to the moron I trained however I like. And cover your chest, the sky people are leering._"

Blinking at the sudden change in conversation, and shoving down the anger, she glanced around and felt her spots flush and her tail thrash in anger as she noted that several of the small _tawtute _were indeed glancing at her bare chest and smirking, talking with one another.

She glared at them and crossed both her arms over her breasts, hissing as she did so, which only set them off laughing.

Snarling, she spun and moved ahead of them, tail thrashing as their laughter continued to echo behind her.

* * *

**Date**: 7:45 PM, September 24th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Maria Thomes waited impatiently for the rest of the blue-skins to join the waiting group in the center of the small 'prisoner camp' that Parker's miners had erected next to the football pitch. It was fairly simple, as much as could be expected after only a days worth of work. Fencing topped with barbed wire had created a long rectangular zone, filled with large tents. They had not had the opportunity to make any form of bedding, but figured that the natives would figure something out. It was not as though it got cold at night anyways.

The miners were still working, even as the blue-skins arrived, carefully setting up the foundations for the guard towers at each corner of the fencing, with an AMP suit standing guard at each location in the interim. Several of the Third Company snipers were likewise nearby, lounging deceptively casually as they watched the prisoners move forwards.

She was here to lay down the rules for them that she had decided on, and tapped her foot impatiently as the wounded huntress propelled herself towards her, the two doctors following as the last group arrived.

The trio moved up next to her and she nodded curtly at them and turned to face the crowd, "Patel, translate."

"Here is what is going on. You are all going to be kept here until the fighting is over, I do not expect it to last more than six or seven days. Until then, you will be given food and water every day, and the tents are your to use to sleep within." she paused to let Patel catch up, "We will not harm anyone who stays peaceably, but anyone who attempts to attack one of the guards, or try to escape, will be dealt with severely. Any questions."

Patel finished, and an old, weathered looking male stepped forwards, speaking slowly.

"He wants to know what kind of food, and how often it will be available." the good doctor translated.

"Three meals a day, mostly tapirus meat and what fruits we have." she provided.

The old man spoke again, and again, Patel translated, "He wants to know if there will be any medical attention for the sick and wounded, apparently there are several."

"Anyone who is wounded can visit our doctors inside after the meeting. Anyone who is sick or injured can always talk to one of the guards. They will have the ability to call on Patel or Spellman at all times to translate for them. But again, if you are caught faking.." she let her voice trail off, the message was clear.

The elder nodded slowly to her, speaking something else, and then turned to address the people.

Patel filled her in, "He says he did not expect anything but death when rounded up, and thanks you for sparing them. He's telling everyone that they will not be here long, the wounded should gather near him, and everyone else should choose where they wish to sleep."

_Always their elders who seem to be smarter than the rest, while their younger generation is just idiotic. Maybe its genetic._

She waited as the wounded began to gather nearby, and the elder had moved closer to speak with Pey'ral. Patel did not bother to translate, so she assumed it was of no or little importance.

After a few minutes, when everyone who needed medical aid seemed to be gathered, she turned and made her way out of the enclosure, guards falling into place around the small huddle of blue-skins as they made their way towards the Apartment complex that housed their medical wing.

The group had made it less than halfway there before the was a startled shout behind her and she spun, already guessing to what had happened.

_Fucking figures._

A young male had concealed himself in the group, and had taken off, shoving a soldier to the ground roughly as he ran past.

"Hold!" she shouted even as the guards began to raise their weapons, "Sniper! Disable!"

Even as she bellowed, one of the previously lounging Russians had already reacted, settling onto his stomach and bracing his massive rifle as he tracked the streaking native.

The sharp _crack_ of the sniper rifle cut through the air even as the native dropped, blood spurting from his left leg as he let out a high pitched scream and went skidding to the ground.

A pair of nearby soldiers approached cautiously, weapons raised. The native was snarling and hissing, trying to back away feebly even as one arm clutched at his leg. Both of the men who approached stayed back, just out of the blue-skin's long reach.

"Looks like a flesh wound, not bleeding copiously." one of them shouted to her, not taking his eyes or his weapon off the wounded male.

Copiously or not, there was more than enough blood visible upon the idiot's thigh, hands, and the ground around him to send her stomach into knots, and it took a conscious effort on her part not to step back and away.

The nearby natives were speaking quietly amongst themselves, some looking horrified, others stunned, but most had an air of depressed acceptance about them, as though they had expected someone to do something stupid and were not at all surprised at what happened.

"Call an AMP suit over, have it hold him down so the medics can sedate him." she instructed, raising her voice to do so, "Everyone else, let's go."

Glancing once more at the red blood covering the wounded native, and swallowing against the slight taste of her lunch, she quickly tapped out the code on the nearby airlock and gratefully moved into the cooler air of the interior. Though the airlock had been designed to fit several stretcher-bearers worth of people, it was still a very cramped place with numerous Na'vi packed in, looking about confusedly.

After making sure that the cycle had finished, she let the main door swing open with a_ clang _that echoed sharply enough to make the blue-skin's wince, and eagerly removed her exo-pack as the doctors did the same.

The few soldiers lounging on the benches leaped to their feet and carefully placed hands on their weapons, pausing only when she raised a hand to signal them to wait.

"They're wounded and getting taken to the medical wing, escort them please, don't shoot unless your life is in danger or they do something very, very stupid."

Moving into the entryway, she took a moment to look over her shoulder at the natives as they carefully moved in after her. They were all hunched over in order to avoid banging their heads on the low ceiling, and none looked young.

The sight of the numerous bloody bandages up close however, and a few open wounds on others, caused her stomach to churl once more.

"Patel, Spellman, go ahead, I have duties to attend to." it was only a partial lie, but she really, really needed to get away from the blood. She knew it was likely imaginary, but her nose prickled as the coppery scent seemed to fill the air.

Barely waiting for them to nod, she spun on her hell and strode rigidly away, heading towards the atrium and the stairs that would take her down to her basement quarters.

Nodding only breezily to those she strode past, she reached her room in what must have been record time. Bypassing her main living area completely, she slide into her bathroom and collapsed near the toilet, struggling to control her breathing.

_Dammit Maria.. dammit dammit God dammit!_

She had been able to control her utter phobia ever since she had arrived, only having one episode after the main battle, once the adrenaline had worn off and the number of bodies and the small sea of blood had become clear to her eyes and mind.

Visiting the wounded had been troublesome, but controllable, given that she never had to directly deal with open wounds.

_But seeing the spray when the moron got hit, then all the wounded next to me.._ she shuddered again, and fought to control her stomach.

_Get yourself under control! You and you alone are in charge here, you need to fucking act like the leader these people need! What would Parker say if he saw you like this?_

As if on cue, her door chime rang as it slid open, and she heard her lover's voice carry, "Maria? You in here?"

_God motherfucking dammit._

_

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**Date**: 10:12 AM, September 25th, 2174

**Location**: Eastern Sea Clan caves, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Tun'txampay shook her head slowly, and murmured "_They truly did as you believed, Jake'sully._"

Jake shrugged in response, and continued his own staring contest with the roaring blaze.

_Ya. They did what I thought they were going to do. What any human military would have done in this day and age. _

The four clan leaders had the small cave to themselves, and all were gazing pensively into the fire that they sat around. They were all trying to put the previous day out of their minds. The sight of dozens of bodies, lying torn and twisted. The stench of death mingling with the still smoldering ashes of the great tree. The eerie silence that prevailed over the entire scene.

Now, they were meeting, attempting to decide upon their course of action for the near future.

Txep'mun'i spoke next, "_I... I had forgotten the kind of destruction they leave behind when they attack."_

"_Not a good thing to forget my brother._" The Great Lake clan's _Olo'eyktan_, a fairly young man named Ma'ran, pointed out. "_That is the very sort of thing we must never forget, lest it happen to us as it happened to those poor fools._"

Jake rather liked the young male. Unlike the rest of his generation, he was dead-set against war, having been just old enough to fight over Tartarus, lose his _ikran_ to machine gun fire, and then be part of the rout as the humans launched their insane counter-attack. As he had quipped to them, "_I sacrificed my ikran, my mate-to-be, my sister, and my father to Eywa's will. I fail to see how the Great Mother can believe I have not sacrificed enough for her._"

He was almost what he wished his son could have been, a thinker, and a ponderer, rather than a great hunter or strong fighter. Tsu'tey had too much of his mother and father in him to ever journey down those roads, as much as Jake had tried to steer him that way.

Shaking himself, he mentally berated his own nostalgia, _Don't get lost remembering the past, it's set in stone now. _

"_When will your son learn of what happened?_" The fierce woman asked, voice uncharacteristically quiet.

That earned another shrug, "_Depends. If the sky people do what I think again, and contact John to relay what happened, probably today. Otherwise, tomorrow or the day after when they wonder why no messengers have come from those clans."_

"_I fear the power of the sky people, but also fear what this might do to the will of our people." _Txep spoke slowly, concentrating upon his words, "_They might begin now to wonder if the sky people have changed at all, and if Eywa is not right._"

"_What is right and wrong..._" Jake shook his head slowly, and let his chin fall so that he could stare at the floor, "_I fear that that no longer matters. We do not get to decide that anymore. Eywa made her choice, and the sky people made theirs in response. All we get to do is try and keep as many people alive as we can. It might mean that we have to do things we dislike, that we view as wrong, such as fight our kin, and fight beside the aliens that so many of the people hate. But.. if that's what keeps our children safe.. do we have a choice?_"

Tun lowered her own head in return, "_The sky people.. we truly cannot drive them forth, can we?_"

"_No. We knew they would return when we drove them away the first time. What they want is too valuable for them to give up, and they will return no matter how many times we drive them forth until.."_

"_Until..?"_ Txep asked softly.

"_Until they tire of us and leave this world awash in fire._" he said, very, very softly. "_The sky people... have weapons beyond what you have seen, fought against, They have weapons so horrible that they are not used unless in the most dire of times, and even then only rarely. Weapons that can leave an entire valley awash in fire in a moment, or turn a river into steam in an eye-blink. Weapons against the only defense is not be where they are used."_

"_And they would use them against us, if we continue to fight, drive them forth._" Ma'ran finished, voice as quiet as the rest, "_They would slay us all if they though it was the... most efficient option?_"

"_If it came down to them or us, they would not hesitate for a heartbeat."_ he confirmed. "_Our only hope.. our only chance, is to somehow coexist, which mostly seems to mean staying out of their way."_

Tun rose and paced slowly, tail flickering about, "_We may worry about that later. What must be worried about the here and now. When your son learns of what happened, and that they may have taken captives, he will move swiftly. If we are to prevent the Omaticaya and other clans from the fires of the sky people, we must stop them._"

"_Fight them to save them." _Mu'ran chortled, "_I like it._"

Resting his finger tips against one another, Txep leaned back slightly as he spoke, "_We will have three clans, plus whatever warriors of the Omaticaya join us."_

"_Nine._" Jake filled in, "_But all older veterans._"

The older man nodded and glanced at the other two.

"_Twenty one." _Mu'ran supplied, shortly after Tun's "_Nineteen._"

"_And my own clan gives us seventeen more, giving us sixty six warriors, against the more than double your son can bring to bear from, now, eight separate clans."_

He smiled and leaned down, carefully drawing a crude map in the light dirt, "_I've been thinking over that problem. Tsu'tey is smart enough not to do what the plain's clan did and gather, which means the sky people will not know when he is going to strike. That also means it is going to take him time to gather everyone to move, and it is going to be a pain to coordinate it all._"

Tun guessed where he was going, "_We gather and strike them before they reach the sky people, before their full strength is gathered."_

"_And we do it when they least expect it, at night._" he confirmed, "_We all move out tonight, and gather north of the sky people home. Our fastest scouts will tell us when they start to move, and then we will know when to hit back. We do it fast and hard, but remember, we do not want to hurt them anymore than we have to. No venom on the arrows, aim for disabling instead of killing if we can."_

"_Hard to do in battle."_ the veteran Txep remarked, "_But our warriors will be glad to obey that order. Despite knowing that once clans fought one another all the time, this still feels unnatural to many."_

"_And what of the sky people?_" Tun asked softly, "_Will they not strike us in turn when we gather?_"

"_They might, but I doubt it, and we do things to minimize that. Your clan is south-east of them, whereas nearly everyone else is to their north. They'll be worried about a clan on the move, but as we move past them, and join up with the others also moving north-west, they'll be more confused than anything." _he explained, hoping very much that he was right.

The others nodded slowly, accepting his explanation, before delving into the minute aspects of planning the battle that was to come, none of them sounding or looking enthused about what they were doing.

And Jake did everything he could to push the knowledge that, as soon as the very next day, he could be fighting his own son in combat.

* * *

**Date**: 12:35 PM, September 25th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

The voice of the former Avatar came across the radio system crystal clear, "_They're really fucking pissed over here, that's for sure. You really kicked up hornets nest, both with the attack, and with capturing Tsu'tey's mate. That nine of the older warriors all went out on hunts and never came back is not helping things."_

Parker rubbed his forehead slowly with a hand, glancing surreptitiously at the rest of the senior staff around the table. Kozlov looked grim, Theodas nodded in slow acceptance, and the pair of German speaking captains exchanged quick glances. Patel looked depressed, which seemed to be his most common state of mind these days.

Maria was, as always, seated at the head of the table.

Things had gotten.. awkward last night, first with him walking in on her in the bathroom, and then she refusing to answer a single question as to why she looked like she was completely hung-over, instead opting to use her body to distract him, rather delightfully.

"Any word on when they are going to move?" she asked.

"_Are you kidding? They don't let me anywhere near the planning sessions or tell me anything, I'm lucky they haven't thrown me out."_ John replied, "_I would guess soon._"

He spoke clearly in the direction of the mic, "Any word on Sully?"

"_Nothing, not a thing."_

"What about Mo'at?" This was Patel, looking more concerned and less depressed.

"_Spending her time convincing Neytiri not to go with her son, and trying to keep as many people home __as she can. Shit, got to go._"

Everyone leaned back in their chairs, glancing at their commander.

Maria nodded slowly, "Parker, how are your miners prepared?"

"Everyone is good and ready to go." he replied, glancing at his tablet, "Munitions stocks at the mine site are full, training is high and morale is pretty good."

"Pretty good?"

"No one is really eager for round two, but they're mostly convinced that this should break their backs permanently." he explained.

"That would be good, _da_?" Kozlov rumbled.

"It would be nice to have a better idea of their plans if we intend to break them once and for all." Theodas shook his head, scratching at his stubble, "Beyond knowing that they will most likely try to hi the mining site, maybe even strike at Tartarus to get the brat's bitch back, we don't have a clue."

"And that they are not gathering means our surveillance is lessened." Prochnow observed, accent thick as always, "Perhaps scouting parties are in order, _ja?_"

"Colonel?"

The blonde and gray haired American glanced over his own tablet before responding, "_Mountain Rain_ have been cooped up lately, I could put them on standard search patterns, cones out a hundred klicks or so."

"Do it, make sure they operate in pairs and watch out for Leo's and banshees. The native wildlife has been way too quiet lately."

Parker frowned and nodded at that, with all of the excitement and preparation for the upcoming battle, he had all but forgotten about that aspect, "Why is that I wonder." he asked rhetorically.

The others also frowned questioningly, before Max spoke, voice slowly becoming more lifelike, "Something else is happening, something that is making Eywa unable to commit the wildlife to harassing us. Whatever Jake is doing. It has to be. Thomes, you said that he promised to deal with his son?"

Nodding, the blonde woman frowned at Patel, "You have my attention doctor, what is he up to?"

"I don't know," the other male replied, frowning slightly, "I'm not sure to be honest, but whatever it is is keeping Eywa off of us. Maybe.. maybe he's chosen a side. Eywa would never be able to send them against the People, against herself. If Jake means to make a fight of his son's plans.."

"She would not be able to interfere." Parker realized, leaning forwards as slight excitement bubbled within him. He had seen quite enough people torn apart and partially _eaten_ thank you. "Which means there might still be a civil war yet."

"Theodas, dust off Cases Blue and Olive, and run drills with Prochnow and the Second, as soon as we break. Werner, Kozlov, Parker, have your people ready to fill in the perimeter defenses around both bases assuming we launch either plan." Maria snapped off, rapid-fire.

"Who will guard the prisoners?" Prochnow asked, "I will need my men from that duty.

"Kozlov, deal with it. Parker, make sure those guard towers are done first thing, then work on the rest."

"Got it." he nodded, quickly starting to compose a general message to all his subordinates, even as Maria broke the meeting and everyone quickly began to move to get their new plans into sudden motion.

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**Next up is Chapter 13: Moonlit Nightmares**

And here we go already with the next chapter. POV sections were a bit shorter than the norm, but I think it all came together well and showed the build-up quite nicely.

The humans have sort-of figured out what is up, even as everyone gets ready to start killing (or trying not to kill) one another in yet another epic battle. This one will be chaotic and quite fun for everyone concerned. Well, probly not for the people in the story, but as fictional character's their votes don't count.

Next chapter the battle will kick-off, and will last for a few chapters, after which we'll have a short aftermath section, followed by an interlude then two more acts, which will focus more on relations and the lives and people involved.

**I loved the number and quality of the reviews I got, so please keep it up!**

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**Author's Notes**

This chapter wasn't as much fun to write, given that it's mostly build up to what is coming up, and I feel a little uncomfortable with the shorter sections. Expect the battle sections, and chapters, to be quite long though, and i'm hoping to be able to ride that momentum into Act III for the aftermath and how things start to finally calm down.

I am starting to think that my own fic is poisoning my mind though. I tried to read some older Avatar fics that I used to enjoy.. only to rapidly get extremely irritated at the 'can't argue with elves' and other various tropes being invoked to make the na'vi utterly superior and morally right and yadda yadda. I used to not mind it as much, as long as it was well written enough, but today I actually found myself getting annoyed. Probly a bad sign for my mental health.

As far as the reasoning for the more rapid updates, here's the deal. I'm currently working on 3 major things, beyond work: Semper Furor, an original work I want to self-publish online, and a programming project for my portfolio. Trying to work on all 3 is not working out for my sanity or for getting any real progress done, so i'm going to bang out Semper Furor as rapidly as my writing ability allows, hoping to have it done within a month or so so that I can spend more time on the other two.

That also means that, as of now, the Semper series is going to be a duology, not a trilogy, and that I intend to wrap up this plot nicely during Act IV. I will keep writing fanfics, probly a few more one-shots for my collection, maybe get back to Masters of Illusion, but for right now, I don't know.

**Enjoying the ride, ~_ Kat_**


	15. Chapter 13: Moonlit Nightmares

I still do not own anything that is not mine, what else is new.

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**Chapter 13: Moonlit Nightmares**

**Date**: 6:43 PM, September 26th, 2174

**Location**: Due East of Hell's Gate, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Tun'txampay felt her _ikran's _wariness of the distant object that was a _tawtute kunsip_. It had been shadowing them, slowing as to not outpace them, for some time now.

Jake'sully had shouted to her not to worry, that it was probably just making sure that they did not swing around to attack Hell's Gate, but the constant sight of the machine was enough to make both her and her mount nervous.

Glancing around and the flying formation, she took it in once more. Nineteen members of her own clan, nine of the few loyalists from the _Omaticaya_, plus Jake and herself, flew north in a loose formation, en route to meet with the members of the Great Lake and Green River clans.

_I remember when Toruk'makto called us to war, when over a hundred of my clan were ready to go forth. And then when Eywa called us to battle, and there were over fifty of us. Now, nineteen is all that can be spared.._

She knew that her clan was not the only one hurting, but it was the one that affected her the most. There were far too many elders, too many weavers and singers, not enough young warriors and hunters to take the places of those who had fallen. The losses from the first battle at been horrific, and it had taken all the intervening years to try and heal the wounds and raise the next generation, only to see so many of them cut down following Eywa's will.

_And that is why Eywa no longer receives my worship._ She thought savagely, anger filling her chest, _She would see what few of us remain lay dead at the feet of the sky people, because she refuses to see that they cannot be beaten with what we have. _

Not that she truly liked the _tawtute_, or their odd, seemingly random insanity. Jake'sully had given her some insight into their minds, and she had not been idle these past few years, sending scouts or occasionally venturing herself to watch from afar as they worked and 'mined'. Little of what they did made any sort of sense to her, but it did seem as though they were largely confining themselves to the areas around their two homes of stone and metal, and whatever they had done to one of the old mines had seen grass and shrubs begin to grow in its desolate soil.

Her _ikran_ rumbled a warning and she felt the irritation and tinge of fear increase through their bond.

The _kunsip_ had turned and accelerated moving closer to the formation.

"_Calm! Calm warriors!"_ Jake'sully's voice carried over the wind, "_They are alone._"

She repeated the same, shouting to be heard, "_Calm!" _

Several of the warriors had laid hands on their bows, but left them wrapped around their chests and settled for warily watching the approaching machine.

It slowed as it closed, slowly swinging out so that it was flying parallel to them, and she could see a pair of the _tawtute_ watching them with wary gazes of their own. One held a weapon that seemed to be affixed to the _kunsip_, but did not have it raised towards them.

They remained that way for a while, traveling in tandem, the _tawtute_ carefully looking over the formation, occasionally seeming to speak with one another, but never venturing too close, and the _ikran_ were all too happy to stay as far from the noisy machine as their riders allowed.

After some time, it suddenly banked away, roaring west towards its home, and her shoulder muscles loosened for the first time since they had first caught sight of it.

The rest of their long flight passed uneventfully, with no sightings of either the _tawtute_ nor other members of the People.

Their gathering point, as selected by the former _toruk'makto_, was beside a winding river, and their _ikran _gratefully moved to gulp from its banks once they had landed.

There was no frivolity as the other clans arrived, and barely even any conversations were occurring. It was quiet, warriors inspecting their bows and sharpening arrowheads, a few talking in low tones over the battle plan once more. Others were beside their _ikran_, tails drooped behind them as they pensively gazed into the river.

Jake'sully stood alone until she slowly made her way over to him, gazing into the darkening sky as he was.

"_If he plans to attack them tomorrow, he should already be moving." _he spoke, tone flat, dead, "_The scouts will be here soon in that case._"

She placed a hand upon his arm, "_Rest Jake'sully, I will watch the sky."_

He shook his head, "_And have nothing to distract me from the fact that I might have to kill my own son?_"

Raising her arm, she struck him lightly on the head, "_Remember what I told you in my home._"

"_I know, but-_"

She hit him again, "_Go. Rest. Now. You will do no one any good if you are weak and exhausted."_

Muttering something in _inglisi, _he nodded and moved away, sitting and resting against a tree near his _ikran_. It looked as though he fell asleep instantly.

_Moron is pushing himself far too hard. Still, to have to fight ones own son..._ She supposed that she could not blame him for doing all that he could to stay busy, to keep what was coming from his mind and thoughts. She knew that she, and most of her warriors, had been doing likewise, avoiding the topic of what was coming at all costs over the last few days, speaking only in low tones if they had to at all.

Time passed slowly, the sun falling and the night deepening as the forest began to slowly glow. Mu'ran eventually moved up next to her, touching her arm lightly, tapping his own chest and nodding towards the sky.

Taking the queue, she nodded thankfully before moving out of the small clearing and towards her slumbering _ikran_. Most of the warriors were sitting or laying beside their mounts, sleeping fitfully or simply relaxing as best they could.

Nestling beside her slumbering _ikran_, and getting an annoyed rumble from his chest as her movements awoke him slightly, she closed her eyes and tried to let sleep claim her.

It seemed that she had barely closed her eyes before a warrior was lightly shaking her awake, "_Honored Olo'eyktan, you must awake. They are coming."_

Closing her eyes once more, she nodded slowly and stood, stretching slowly to ease her muscles awake as other warriors were roused and began the same, stretching lightly and performing last minute checks over their bows and quivers before mounting their _ikran_. All had carefully painted themselves in the manner of her own clan, it had been her idea to ensure that all knew who was friend and who was not.

A few had grumbled, but acknowledge the wisdom in it. Jake

Making the bond herself, she felt her _ikran_'s equally grim mood as they took to the air, the others slowly beginning to rise from the ground upon in a cloud of flapping wings and quiet calls.

Memories played through her mind, of working out the final plan with Jake'sully.

"_Our first advantage is our ikran-makto. All of our warriors will be mounted, whereas only a few of theirs will be, given that so much of their support comes from the other plains clans still. Now, that being said, we can't get caught up fighting them for too long in the air, or else the other clans will keep arriving and we will be badly outnumbered." _he had worked out, "_Aim for their wings, so that they have to land but are not crippled or slain._ _Once they are down, we move away, and land in between them and the sky people's home, and wait for them to come to us. They will be confused, and slow, and we can take advantage of that. Normally staying in the air would be our strongest option, but to do so would be to risk our ikran.. and there are as few of them still living in this region as there are of the people._"

She had nodded and leaned down to the drawings in the dirt, "_We strike them swiftly like palulukan then? Stun them by how strong we seem and how fast we move, to conceal how few we are."_

"_Exactly." _he nodded in approval, "_But remind your warriors, given how few of us there are, it is critical that we do not lose people, on either side, unless it is absolutely necessary."_

Tun, and she was sure the other two as well, knew that that was most likely wishful thinking. Perhaps in the first strike they would be able to confine themselves to wounding the _ikran_ only, amidst the confusion. But once the battle moved to the ground... people would die, it was as simple as that.

And there was still the matter of the _tawtute_ to consider. If the battle raged long enough, they might take notice and attempt to intervene, and who knew what kind of chaos that would cause.

Pushing such thoughts from her mind, she relaxed into the flight as they slowly moved towards the incoming members of their own people who, well intentioned though they were, planned to embroil their precious world in fire and war once more.

The formation slowly climbed upwards and into the thin clouds, their eyes constantly gazing downwards, looking for any signs of movement that would betray the moving force. The clans began to drift apart, spreading out to cover the largest area they could afford to.

Which, in turn, led to yet another question. How grouped together would Tsu'tey's forces be? They guessed that they would be very spread out, hence why their own formation was dispersing, but it also meant that there was a high degree of uncertainty as to how many clans they would be fighting at any given time.

_The only thing we can do is fight, and pray that our plans work._

A soft cry from a nearby _ikran_ alerted her, and she followed that warriors gaze and pointing arm.

Far below them, and spread out into a loose line much like how her own warriors were positioned, was a flight of _ikran_. Small shapes bounded through a small clearing in the forest revealed that theywere following _pa'li_ riders.

Drawing her bow, she carefully rested her body into the harness as she drew an arrow from her quiver, her warriors copying their leader.

Sending the command through the link, the wind suddenly picking up as her _ikran_ tucked his wings and dove.

Falling like _toruk_, they fell swiftly through the air, drawing back their arrows as they neared their targets, still flying slowly through the air, unaware of the descending menace.

At the last moment it seemed, the warrior whom she was diving towards felt some premonition of what was coming, and she saw him raise his head and watched his jaw drop as he saw members of his own people diving towards him, weapons raised and faces set in grim concentration.

Then they were passed, and screeching filled the air as over a dozen _ikran_ struggled to remain airborne after arrows had torn into their wings, causing pain each time they attempted to beat them.

Her warriors streamed after her, her _ikran_ expressing its displeasure at what they had done through the link even as she watched his wounded brethren quickly circling downwards, their cries of soft pain mixing with the stunned and furious shouting of their riders.

Grimacing, she circled the area once to make sure that all of their target had been hit before nodding and leading her warriors south to the ambush location.

Their _ikran_ were all too happy for their riders to dismount, glaring and screeching softly at them before settling into the trees to rest and await their return.

_Is it they who are unhappy, or is it Eywa's will through them?_ That was one problem with questioning one's faith in the Great Mother, suddenly you began to question everything. If Eywa was all living things upon the world, then was it truly your _ikran _or your _pa'li_'s displeasure you were feeling, or hers? Were the nagging feelings that what she was doing was wrong truly her own, or where they Eywa's?

She shook her head at her own thoughts as she smoothly moved down the tree to the forest floor, bow head lightly in one hand.

_This is no time to have a crisis of faith, for now, we must fight, and we might worry about what is true and what is false later. _

"_Spread out, take shelter, and await them!"_ she called out, suiting her actions to her words, sliding up behind a tree, weapons held loosely, waiting for them to arrive. Overhead, she could hear the quiet caws and screeches of yet more unhappy _ikran_, as the rest of their forces arrived.

Shouting as loudly as they dared, the other warriors rapidly dismounted their own mounts and leaped or slid to the ground, racing into positions and preparing their weapons.

She glanced to each side and nodded to herself.

Her own forces seemed to be near the middle of the formation, with Jake'sully and his own scant few moving up to her left, and Txep'mun'i moving his larger force rapidly past the former _tawtute_, covering their flank. Mu'ran had positioned his warriors to her right, spreading them out in a long line, and keeping a few up in the trees to watch for additional _ikran_ riders.

It did not take long for those who followed Eywa to arrive, visible in the distance first flickers of darkness, blocking the illumination of the plants and trees. Their voices carried softly through the still air, and she could hear quiet cursing and exclamations, none seemed to have any idea why their own people had attacked them.

She did not recognize the clan at this distance, and realized grimly that it didn't truly matter, whoever they were, they had to be stopped.

Slowly, she raised her bow and took careful aim, sighting in at the foremost _pa'li_ rider, who had paused in place to speak with one of the warriors trying to keep up on foot.

Her eyes judged the range as her arms automatically rose the bow, compensating even as she drew the arrow back.

Slowly exhaling, she let her fingers release the arrow, drawing and notching another in a single smooth motion even as she watched it sail through the air and imbed itself in the young warriors chest.

Both he and the _pa'li_ he was bonded to let out cries of startled pain, and the others began to shout in sudden dismay even as more arrows slipped through the air, most finding their marks in the flesh of the people or their mounts.

Cries and shouts began to fill the air as they struggled to organize themselves, and her warriors began to call out their shots to one another, trying to ensure that none targeted the same enemy.

Grimacing at the idea of her own people as her enemies, she pushed the thought from her head even as she allowed another arrow to sail through the air, the shaft imbedding itself in the stomach of a young woman who had been attempting to rally her confused kin.

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**Date**: 12:13 AM, September 27th, 2174

**Location**: 90km North East of Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Even as arrows sailed through the air around him, Tsu'tey snarled, "_Get off the pa'li! Get into cover!"_

He had no idea what had happened, or who in Eywa's name was attacking them, all he knew was that they were striking against their own people, betraying Eywa, and in effect, siding with the aliens who had stolen his mate from him.

The news of Ean'atane's capture had hurt him, he knew, and angered him. But he had done everything he could to follow what he knew would be his father's example, not allowing it to affect his judgment. Yes, he had wanted to strike at once, with all the strength he could muster, and get her back. But that would have been another open, brawling fight, one that would hand the _tawtute_ every advantage.

Instead, as painful as it was to both he and his clan, he would follow their original plan, striking at the _tawtute_'s trap, showing them that the People were not the morons they thought them to be, and destroying the reason the _tawtute_ were here. It would be the first strike of several, and he and the other _Olo'eyktan _and _tsahik_ had already planned their second raid, against the smaller _tawtute_ home, where their warriors were fewer.

But now, it was all being undone! And not by the aliens, but by other members of the People!

First, diving _ikran_ had come from nowhere, sending arrows through the wings of their _ikran'makto_, wounding them badly enough that they were forced to land. What riders he had left were too few to be able to carry the fight in the air on their own, and he had ordered them to the ground, even as everyone reeled from what had happened.

After being forced to land, and telling his _ikran _through the bond to remain where he was until runners could return with healing salves, he had sent members of his clan to the other nearby groups, telling them to gather, temporarily, so they could figure out what was happening.

In the midst of converging, they had been attacked, _again_, by their own kind, arrows falling like rain, sending both hunters and _pa'li_ to the ground, screaming in pain.

Now, he was trying to organize the chaos and stop the panic that had suddenly spread through the ranks.

"_Get into cover and fire back! Keep the enemy occupied!_" he shouted, even as he ducked, an arrow whistling past.

"_It's the Eastern Sea clan!" _a young woman called out, peaking carefully from her place further forwards than anyone else, "_Their paint gives them away! And I saw their Olo'eyktan! She fights against Eywa's will!"_

Had he not already been mated, he would have kissed the young girl, for her words seemed to lite a fire of anger in the People.

"_They fight against the will of the Great Mother, they fight on the side of the aliens and demons!"_ he called out, loudly enough to let the enemy hear him, "_Drive them forth!"_

Part of him felt sick that he was fighting his own kind, but the rest felt nothing but anger and fury that they would _dare_ go against Eywa's will in such a manner, striking at their own kin and defending the very aliens that sought to destroy all they held dear.

Raising his own bow, he took aim at a slim target in the distance and let the arrow fly, snarling in satisfaction as the figure tumbled to the ground with a distant cry of pain.

The fighting raged about him, even as he searched for another target. IT was vastly different from what he and his kin had been expecting. There were no explosions, no roaring _tawtute_ machinery. Instead it was an eerie form of stalking struggle, trying to conceal oneself yet still be able to draw and fire their bows, even as their enemies did the same. Arrows skipped off the ground or slammed into trees as voices called out to one another in the night, and cries of pain occasionally split the air as an arrow found its mark.

Leaning out to fire again, e snarled as another arrow narrowly missed him, ducking back behind his tree, his own unreleased dangled from his fingers.

_They cannot all be from the Eastern Sea Clan, they have far too few warriors. They painted themselves such to confuse us as to how many there are._

He frowned at that point of logic, and quickly leaned out, glancing around the battlefield again before ducking back.

_There are too few arrows coming at us for there to be many of them, and they are carefully choosing their shots as it is, and taking all care not to be hit. That means they are very good, but cautious about losing people. We outnumber them. Possibly significantly. _

"_Riders! Get your mounts! Ikran'makto, cover them!"_ he sprinted back, as other warriors began to react, the _pa'li_ riders racing away from the fight, shouting questions to him even as they dismounted warriors fired arrows more rapidly, more concerned with keeping the enemy at bay than hitting.

"_Tri'vail!"_ he shouted, glancing around for the other _Olo'eytkan._

"_Here!"_ the other male shouted, pausing to let an arrow fly before sprinting over, "_What is it Tsu'tey?_"

"_We outnumber them, but the longer we fight here the more likely it is that the sky people take notice! We must win with speed so that we might spread out once more, take our riders, all of them, and swing around the right flank!" _he explained swiftly, "_They will have to react to what you do, and when that happens, have a warrior with a horn waiting to signal us, and we will charge!"_

"_You are worthy of Toruk!"_ the barely older male replied with a grin, "_Mount you Pa'li! Prepare to ride!"_

Dozens of riders swiftly leaped upon their mounts, making the bond as they did so, and followed their war leader along the back of their lines.

He grabbed one warrior before his _pa'li_ could race by, "_Go along the line, and tell everyone of the __plan! Go!"_

The warrior nodded and swiftly spurred his mount, spinning in place and racing along the long battle-front.

Nodding, he turned and made his own way back to the front, and his ears could make out concerned shouting from the enemy, as they realized something was happening.

It took only a short time before he heard the warriors of the clan to his right shouting victory, and they began to move forwards eagerly.

_It is too early for the riders to have begun their charge! _He swore and sprinted away from his own warriors, shouting for them to stop.

Several did, looking back confusedly.

"_Get back! We must charge as one, and the signal has come, fall back now or you will be vulnerable!_" he shouted.

The clan had evidently lost their own _Olo'eyktan_, and while a few warriors began to obediently fall back, others shouted for them to press on.

Before he could shout more curses at them, a mass volley of arrows suddenly fell on the exposed hunters, and a dozen fell in moments, screeching in pain, and he wanted to screech in frustration.

"_Morons! Get back!"_ he bellowed, firing an arrow blindly in the direction of the enemy, trying to cover what few warriors were able to get back into cover.

_Has no one but me studied how to fight!_

"_Do not move forwards until the signal is given!"_ he shouted, before moving back towards his own warriors, who, showing much greater intelligence then the Red Mountain clan had, were still sticking to their cover and only occasionally firing well-aimed shots down-range.

"_Be ready to move, but do so smartly!"_ he instructed them as he sprinted from tree to tree, "_Do not risk yourselves, this is not the real fight! That has yet to come!_"

The arrows coming from the enemy slackened somewhat, even as renewed shouting broke out. Obediently however, none of his or the Red Mountain warriors charged, their eyes dancing to the numerous dead and wounded laying in the open.

Loud and baying, the horn call slashed with the far-off cries of _ikran_.

"_Go! Go!"_ he shouted, sprint forwards as his warriors did the same, the other clans swiftly moving with, eating the ground up long, loping strides, shouting war-cries as they did.

The enemy was already in full retreat, but not in the way he thought.

Evidently they had kept their _ikran_ nearby, and were swiftly scaling trees and leaping upon their backs, taking to the air and swiftly rising up and away, a few firing arrows warningly downwards as they did so.

A few were stopped before they could make the bond, but most were able to take to the sky and whirl away southerly as his own people shouted angered curses after them.

"_Calm! Calm warriors! See to the wounded, and send word for all Olo'eyktan to meet with me here!_" he shouted, giving everyone what purpose he could.

The healers that had volunteered to come with were called from where they had taken shelter, and soon warriors were carefully aiding their friends and kin to them, grimacing as they also took note of the dead, murmuring quiet prayers to the all-mother.

After only a short while, the other _Olo'eyktan_ arrived, finding him from where he stood pensively gazing at a dead warrior of the Eastern Sea clan, the horrific burn scars he bore indicated that he had been no friend of the _tawtute_ in life.

_Yet he betrayed his goddess, his mother, and his kin all the same.._

He glanced around as the others arrived. They had gone into the battle with the full strength of five clans behind him, and it seemed that only the Red Mountain clan had lost their leader.

The other three were looking as grim as he felt, glancing at the body and shaking their heads in disgust.

"_We cannot stay long, gathered as we are, we must keep moving." _he told them, "_But this poses a problem, I doubt we have seen the last of the traitors._ _Many escaped, and we have no time to count the dead. Given the direction in which they fled, they most likely intend to ambush us once more._"

"_Do we wait for the western mountain clans then?_" Tri'vail asked, "_Disperse until our western kin arrive?_"

"_No_" he shook his head, "_We must_ _move with haste to strike the sky people before dawn. What Ikran'makto remain will remount, and fly as high as they might ahead of us, to give us warning. We will move swiftly however, what warriors who have lost mounts will double up with those who have not. When the fliers give us warning we shall dismount, and then move on._"

"_And when we meet the traitors again?_" the _Olo'eyktan/Tsahik_ of the North plains asked.

"_Our riders will break into two formations, one led by you, the other by Tri'vail, you may decide who leads which prong. Flank them on both sides even as myself and Yann'pir strike at their hearts, we do so rapidly, overwhelm them befoe they can flee again._" he declared, drawing a small diagram in the dirt with his finger to indicate how he wanted it to occur.

The others nodded, murmuring approval.

"_Mount up and move out, send word to the healers to treat whom they can and then follow with all haste._" he instructed.

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**Date**: 1:39 AM, September 27th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Maria Thomes rubbed sleep from her eyes even as she stalked into the Ops-Center, "This had better be fucking good."

"There's something going out in the forest ma'am," Prochnow rumbled, frowning over the main holo-table. "About a hundred klicks or so north. We picked up what looked like a solid heat bloom on the edge of the _Hope_'s sensors but when they refocused it was diffused and mostly gone."

Now fully awake, she moved up beside him and frowned at the table, "Go on."

"After that, I had the _Dream_ shift a satellite, and picked up this about sixty klicks North, the recording is from a half hour ago until now" he brought up the file.

A small group of something moved south swiftly across the map, paused on the south side of a river that cut across the forest, and then slowly diffused outwards along it's banks until the heat sources were far enough apart that the satellite couldn't pick them out from the natural heat of the jungle.

"Explanation?" she demanded.

"If I had to theorize, someone was fighting someone else up north, and the _Hope _just picked up the tail end of it," the Austrian nodded, "Whoever lost fled south, and got set up for round 2."

"Based on?"

"That group the Samson encountered moving north-west from the coast this afternoon." he explained, "They had to be going somewhere, and given that they bypassed us by such a wide margin, I would bet that they wanted to appear non-threatening because they were going to fight someone else."

She gazed at the now still image, "Satellite status?"

"Burned all of it's fuel getting into position, and is drifting." he grimaced, "I contacted your XO aboard the _Dream_, but there will be a four hour gap until they can redirect another."

She grimaced in turn, "Starting?"

"Twenty minutes from now."

"_Scheise._" she swore, as Prochnow tried to hide his grin at her choice in expletives, "Get the senior staff awake now, full staff meeting."

"_Jawohl_." he shouted orders even as she strode out, heading for their conference room, mind racing.

_Sully is making his move, just not in the way or time we expected._ _So how do we react?_

She moved into the long room, and did not have more then ten minutes to wait until the other senior leaders entered, most looking bleary and sleepy except for Prochnow.

Tapping the lock command unto the small control panel before her, she cleared her throat and began, "The natives are fighting it out north of us."

She instantly had everyone's attention, "Information is sketchy, but it looks like there was a fight an hour ago, and another one getting ready to brew as we speak. The problem is that we are about to lose satellite coverage for nearly four hours over that area, and we have no idea which group is which."

Rising, she paced slowly at the table's head, "We know that Sully will be leading one group, and his son the other, and that his son's group will likely outnumber the other. Beyond that, we have no information on what either one's battle plan is, or how the fight has gone up to this point. I am open to suggestions."

"We must act, _da?_" Kozlov rumbled, "Aiding the group who is against all-out war would net us better relations with the survivors."

"But how do we tell who is who?" Patel demanded, "You could easily slaughter the wrong side by accident. Jake's group is probably the one closer to us, but that could change as the battle changes."

Theodas grimaced and nodded, "We would have to get in close to have any chance of identification, and that would risk many of our people."

Silence fell as everyone frowned and concentrated, before Parker spoke up, "I don't see how we can do much until we have satellite coverage again. Even if we launched now, how long would it take?" He directed the question to the Colonel.

The other American glanced over his tablet before responding, "An hour to get all the gunships fueled, prepped, and everyone on board, and then a variable flight time. To where we think they are? Hour and a half."

"That is an eternity in a battle, he could have easily swung either way or moved a dozen kilometers by then." Prochnow shook his head.

"More," Patel spoke up again, "Banshees can really book it going all out."

Silence fell again, with more frowning and glancing over tablets.

This time it was the soft-spoken Werner who broke it, "What about the huntress?"

The doctor frowned at the German officer, "What about her?"

"She could identify the sides easily, _ja?_" he cocked his head slightly, "Have her go with the strike force, aboard the Dragon perhaps with your or Spellman as a translator. That would be one problem solved."

"Assuming she agrees." Patel pointed out.

She liked where this was going, the idea of sitting back and doing nothing rankled, "She will. The chance to help stop an all-out war? If she's as smart as you constantly tell me she is, she'll agree."

"Ok, what about satellite coverage?" Theodas leaned over the table, glancing at her.

"The _Dream_ still has her orbital maneuvering engine. They can make a pass and see what is happening where at launch time." she explained, nodding slowly as the plan began to fall into place. "We'll lose some satellite coordination for a few days, but if this works out it won't matter."

Everyone was now nodding slowly in time with her, and she continued, "Theodas, Prochnow, get everyone mounted up and ready to fly. Parker, get your men awake and help with loading and fueling, I want the entire First and Second ready to fly _within_ an hour. Werner, make sure your men are ready for support at Hell's Gate with your new toys. Kozlov, make sure the snipers are ready to go with and that everyone else is prepared to deal with anyone who attempts to attack, ditto for you Parker."

Parker spoke up quickly, "That reminds me, some of my mechanics finished up a project last night, was going to show you today. They got bored, and say its a gift, it might help. Or.. it might blow up, one of the two, but they already volunteered to take it into the next fight."

Turning and blinking at him as the others did the same, "What is it and how are they going to get it there?"

"It's light enough to be carried by a Samson, and let's just say it's... a thing. A very ugly thing." he grimaced slightly, "An ugly jury-rigged thing that will scare the living hell out of them if it works."

Maria blinked at him again before shrugging, "If they volunteer, and if one of your Samson pilots agrees to carry it, feel free. Get everyone awake and ready to fight people, this could be it."

Alarms began to shriek through the base minutes later, and hundreds of humans were turned out of their bunks, swearing as they frantically dressed and grabbed exopacks before sprinting to their combat posts.

Outside, sweating miners and mechanics joined soldiers in heaving missiles into racks, loading machine guns and pouring fuel into Samsons and Scorpions. One Samson, bearing _Hauptmann_ Werner, roared off swiftly, bearing him to his own command at Hell's Gate, even as several, slightly mad, and more than slightly bored, mechanics heaved their contraption out of the shop and towards the Samson waiting to carry it into battle.

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**Next up is Chapter 14: The Dawn Breaks**

And the fighting has begun. Tsu'tey is showing off that he learned quite a lot from his father as far as being able to lead in battle goes, even while his father and Tun are doing everything they can to stop him from being able to reach Tartarus and begin a suicidal raid. The humans have figured out something is up, and are getting ready to smash the idiots, assuming they can find where the battle is occurring before it ends.

In the next chapter, the battle will rage on across a roaring river as Tsu'tey realizes just who is leading the forces against him, and Jake will struggle with his own concious as he tries to outwit his son. The humans will try to find the shifting battle, as Pey'ral struggles with her own demons as the Dragon roars towards battle.

**Again, I love reviews, so keep reviewing!**

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**Author's Notes**

Ok, writing na'vi-na'vi battles is quite different. Less explosions, more carefully though strikes. Kind of reminds me of playing medieval total war, watching as Scottish and English long-bowmen went at it at extreme range as cavalry tried to flank around blocks of troops. Still enjoyed it, and delightfully looking forwards to writing more of it

The first two chapter of the battle (this one and the next) have a lot of na'vi viewpoints, because hey, the humans aren't there yet. Expect that to shift once the humans arrive, and ya'll be getting some new POV's in the future.

As far as my original works go.. trust me, I would love to reveal everything so that all of you could buy it when I do and badger me for more and I could make money and have to work as a cashier less, but the problem is the very annoying US copyright laws. As it is, I might have to take down all my fics here once I publish, or at least bequeath them to another author and allow them to take all the credit, so I don't get into any sort of legal trouble. The main problem being that anyone who knows me in person also knows that I am Katkiller 5, I've used the nickname for _everything_ for nigh a decade now, so they could connect me to it quite easily.

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**Review Responses**:

~AndreyRus: I would very much like to continue writing fanfiction in Avatar, but as I am someone in dire need of money to keep paying school loans.. writing and trying to sell original work plus programming stuff is taking priority.

~TopKat90: Yes, I did play that game actually, until I realized the depths of which the company was willing to stoop to gouge profits out of the players. I shifted to warmachine after that. I did enjoy the back-story, particularly the Guard though. I'm not sure if that's influenced my writing, but it might have. And glad that despite the fact you still think it's a bit dark that you're still reading and reviewing, promise that Act III and IV will be much lighter and more relations oriented.

~KCKitsune: There will be more technology being used, some of it modern, some of it futuristic, in the upcoming chapters.


	16. Chapter 14: The Dawn Breaks

Let's see... nope, don't own Avatar.

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**Chapter 14: The Dawn Breaks**

**Date**: 2:21 AM, September 27th, 2174

**Location**: 45km North of Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

"_Go Jake'sully, my warriors will cover them here!"_ Mu'ran shouted to him, snarling as an arrow barely missed his exposed arm.

More shouting and cursing filled the air as Jake released the arrow from his fingers before snapping back behind the tree that he had been using for cover, nodding to Mu'ran and shouting for his warriors as he struggled to make sense of everything that was happening.

To be honest, he was not sure which side was more furious over the fact that there battle plan had been shot to hell.

He had settled the warriors of his faction on the southern bank of the river, planning on using its bulk to slow any attempt at a cavalry charge, as well as making the battle take as long as possible. The more time that passed, the more exhausted Tsu'tey and his own warriors would be, and he knew his son was far too smart to attempt to attack the humans in broad daylight.

That was all well and good, and runners had reported that the attempt by _pa'li_ riders to outflank them to their right had been stymied by the deep water. The only fording points that they had known about were the pair near the center of their line, easily defended.

Of course, they had not had the time to find every fording point, and, naturally, Tsu'tey's cavalry had managed to locate one. They had raced across the long sandbank, establishing a beach-head that threatened their left flank. Now, he was trying to make his way over in that direction, hoping to help Tun push them back across the river before the other group of _pa'li_ managed to double-back and double the size of the force on their side of the river.

_We can't afford an open fight for very long._ He swore mentally, sprinting from tree to tree, occasionally pausing to make sure that no one could lead him, his warriors moving with equal skill about him.

But an open fight seemed to be just what they had.

He and his surviving six hunters bolted from cover to cover until they reached Tun and her warriors, all looking exhausted even as they fired arrows at any of their foes who got adventurous and attempted to move forwards.

It only took a quick glance at the other _Olo'eyktan_, and a grim shake of her head, to confirm that they would not be able to push them back.

"_It is everything we can do to hold them._" she called, wincing as an arrow embedded itself into the tree she was sheltering behind.

Jake swore out loud, mind scrambling to come up with a new plan. What he really wanted to do was find some of their make-shift Molotov cocktails. A nice wall of flame would do wonders in keeping their flank secure, give them time to fall back in good order and find solid ground to defend. The natural problems with that plan was that A: they did not have any and would have to take them from the enemy, and B: the people with him were willing to stop all-out war, but that sure as hell did not mean that they would be willing to set the very forest ablaze.

"_Any area between here and there that we can use?" _he called, stringing an arrow and glancing out to try and identify a target.

"_This is rather far from my clan's range, how do you expect me to know?_" she called back hotly, looking annoyed. "_And we are running low on arrows!"_

"_So are they!"_ he shouted back, that was something at least.

"_They will rush us if they run out!"_ she shot back, and he suddenly felt far less intelligent than he had a moment before.

As if summoned by her words, he heard a chorus of wild yells from the direction of their enemies, and a dozen _pa'li_ riders became visible. Spears raised and hollering war-cries, the impromptu formation raced ate the distance between the two sides in moments. He and Tun both accounted for a warrior each, and three more fell, screaming and clutching at the arrows imbedded within them.

The remainder galloped on, and showcased the vast difference between themselves and humans. Humans, back when spears and bows were the pinnacle of weapons technology, used the cavalry charge as a method of simply bludgeoning through the enemy formation as rapidly as possible, using the weight of the mount to run over anything stupid enough to get in the way. Unless they were using arrows, however, the Na'vi simply used the _pa'li_ to close the distance as rapidly as possible before dismounting to fight.

Jake felt his mouth slowly stretch into a smile, the adrenaline equivalent roaring into his body making everything seem to slow, giving him the time to idly muse on an inconsequential difference between the two species even as he began to dodge the spear thrust from a warrior leaping from his _pa'li_.

Letting his bow fall, he drew his knife and swiftly parried the thrust, sneering in contempt as his other hand wrapped around the weapon before the young idiot could pull it back.

He drove the fist holding his knife directly into the moron's face, the added weight of the hefty blade ensuring that it only took the one strike to drop him.

"_Morons._" he heard Tun swear, even as she delivered a kick that sent her own opponent crying to the ground, before following it up with a punch of her own.

Ducking back behind his tree, he glanced around the rapidly dissolving battle.

The dozen that had charged had merely been the first, what seemed to be a full-on melee assault had developed as both sides depleted their ammunition. Even though his warriors were far more skilled then the youngsters that were rushing them, there were a _lot_ more of them and he was not at all confident at how long they could hold out.

Tun made the call before he could, "_Fall back! Fall back to the ikran! Bond with any pa'li you can!"_

Their warriors reacted instantly, leaping upon the backs of confused _pa'li, _swiftly making the bond and pulling up their kin as the few who still had arrows to spare used them to scare the enemy into cover, buying them a few precious seconds.

Tun had already grabbed the _pa'li_ of the warrior she had knocked out, and he swiftly raced over and leaped upon its back behind her, wrapping his arms around her stomach as she instructed it to break into a gallop.

He spared on final glance behind him, just in time to see a young _Olo'eyktan_ he dimly recognized staring at him in disbelief, jaw wide open.

Feeling rather human, he rose his left hand and lowered all but a single finger at the moron as they raced away.

Mu'ran, it seemed, had already recognized what had happened on the left, and had called Txep back from their right as well as circling his warriors around their _ikran_, making sure that they would be able to escape southwards yet again.

"_They are moving up the center, we must go with haste!"_ the young _Olo'eyktan_ shouted, already bonded to his _ikran_ above them.

Warriors were scrambling up the trees and leaping upon their mounts, and Jake and Tun swiftly copied them, urging them skywards with word and thought even as cursing warriors and _pa'li_ hoof-beats came closer and closer.

Whirling airborne, he stared hard at the cursing warriors aiming bows and snarling upwards.

_Closer than last time.. and how the hell are we going to stop them again without arrows?_

His eyes took in the slowly assembling formation, as warriors once more grouped together by clan.

There was a new gap in his own group, signaling that he had lost another one. Another friend lost, another hunter who would not return to their mate and children. Tun's group looked even more depleted, with maybe half of her warriors in the air behind her. Mu'ran had fared better, has had Txep, but all had lost kin.

_Lost kin fighting kin.. it could have been their son or daughter who ended the life of their parent.._ the morose thoughts came unbidden, reminding him sharply that Tsu'tey had been somewhere on that battlefield, and with the distance closing to Tartarus, the odds were increasingly sharply that he would meet his own child.

_Don't think Jake. If you keep thinking about what's going to happen you'll end up curled up in a tree somewhere, doing nothing to stop the insanity. Plan, and act. Don't think about anything else._

The did not fly for very long before sharp whistles filled the air, Txep pointing to the ground below and beginning his descent.

Jake glanced over the terrain himself. It looked like a dried up river-bed, one that had been gone for decades at least. Vines and shrubs covered the otherwise flat ground, and the bed left a very wide gap in the tree cover.

_Maybe forty or fifty meters. Probably an old tributary of the Green River._

He glanced south. Light was visible, just barely, on the horizon. It was a kind of light he hadn't seen since he had left the Earth, all those decades ago now. The lights of a city, burning through the night, keeping the darkness at bay.

His _ikran_ settled into the top branches of a tree, and this time did not hiss or glare at him as he broke the bond. Whatever irritation he had felt at what his rider was doing seemed to be gone, replaced instead with the quiet sadness of a pet that knew something was very, very wrong with its master, but was powerless to do anything to right those wrongs.

Jake smiled sadly and rested his head against his _ikran_'s, "_Was glad to have flown with you brother."_

Other warriors nearby were undertaking similar little rituals, smiling sadly and running their hands over their mounts, murmuring quiet words of comfort or prayer, glancing at the glimmering lights to the south and at the soft blue light all about them.

Patting his friend's nose one last time, Jake slowly descended from the tree, walking slowly to gaze over the basin they found themselves on one side of.

Taking their time, the other _olo'eyktan_ made their appearance, settling in about him, taking in the vista before them.

"_Best terrain we have seen all day."_ Tun spoke quietly, "_We give the best archers still among us all the arrows we can, and let them sit amongst the tree tops. The remainder will stay upon the ground with spear and blade. Given our experience, we might be able to hold to the dawn."_

No one bothered to call her a liar, instead choosing to simply nod and continue to gaze north.

"_They'll probably charge us en mass, use their numbers._" he found his voice, "_Pa'li first, the dismounted behind them. Our archers will need to concentrate on those without pa'li_."

"_Why? Would it not be better to wear at them like nantang?_" Mu'ran asked softly, glancing at him.

"_Yes._" he nodded, "_Just not the first wave. Make it seem to them that we have little left to give, encourage them to race after the pa'li_."

"_Right into the open._" Tun nodded, a grim looking Txep nodding as well.

And it was he who spoke next, "_Bold, and dangerous if we cannot stop their pa'li riders. We do indeed have little left to give._"

"_Like the lady said, we just need to hold out until the dawn._" he reminded them.

"_Or until the sky people arrive and kill us all for intruding on their territory._" Mu'ran muttered, glancing southerly.

"_Say it and it will happen, so don't."_ Tun lightly thwacked him on the side of the head, and they all traded forced grins before breaking apart to get their warriors ready.

It was a partial plan, and if they had been at full strength, their quivers full and arms rested, and maybe with a dozen or two more warriors, it was a plan Jake would have had confidence in.

As it was.. they all knew, him best of all, that all they were doing was going down swinging, hoping that their deaths might snap Tsu'tey out of his battle lust.

None of them had any confidence in that, either.

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**Date**: 3:41 AM, September 27th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

"Got them!" the excited shout rang across the previously silent Ops-Center, and instantly activity began at a frantic pace, "41 kilometers, north-north-east! Another group at 32 kilometers north-east, near the river basin!"

Brian Theodas nodded slowly as the shouting and screaming of orders and information filled the room. He glanced at Thomes, catching the blonde's eye.

She nodded slowly, not bothering to say a word. But then, she did not need to.

Drawing himself up, he saluted her before spinning on his heel and striding to the nearest airlock, fixing his exopack into place even before he arrived.

The rising sonic wail of the alarms began once again, and he grimaced as entered ,and swiftly moved through, the airlock.

Everyone knew what an alarm sounded like, the rise and fall of the loud wailing that could carry for miles to warn people of tornadoes, attacks, nuclear strikes, what have you. Being right next to one however, was something else entirely. At that range, your brain no longer truly processed the falling notes of the sound, it was still too shaken up by the sheer wall of noise to actually tell you what you were hearing anymore.

Shaking his head slowly, he put as much distance between himself and the infernal racket as he could, nodding brusquely to the various air crews scrambling into their gunships even as the flight officers flicked on their batons and took their positions.

The whine and roar of turbines had begun to fill the air even as he strode past his Dragon, nodding respectfully at the howling timber wolf upon its nose, making his way into the open hatches in the massive gunship's rear.

Nodding and breezily saluting the AMP pilots who were making their own last minute checks to their suits in the cargo hold, he moved past them to clamber up the ladder to the command section.

Both pilots were running through preflight checks, the weapons and sensors men doing the same. The wounded blue-skin, looking extremely pale, and her equally pale translator, seemed massively out of place.

"Make sure her chair is secured. Last thing we need is for her to tip over and get blood over the deck." he snapped to the Doctor, before moving up next to the pilot without waiting for a response, "How are we this morning gentlemen? We ready to go?"

"Running through the last checks now sir, _Desert Walkers_ squadron is already in the air and ready to stand on point." the pilot reported, glancing over his equipment once more.

"Very good, very good. Have the squadron CO's sound off and lets get airborne shall we? And make sure the Austrians are all nice and comfy."

Snickers filled the air at the mention of the Second, but the crew ran through the checklists and called for the full sound-off as ordered.

"_Alpha Wolf this is Jaeger, we are go." _Prochnow began the sequence, the various squadron commanders sounding off in time after the Austrian, until all had confirmed their readiness to launch.

"_Alpha Wolf, this is Command. We have confirmed battle occurring thirty kilometers to the north east along the dried up river bed. Current guess is that the forces to the North will be hostile, but confirm with huntress before assault." _Thomes' voice came across the all-channel speakers, "_Donner_ _is waiting and ready at Hell's Gate to provide support when called. Kick-ass and take names people, let's make this the last time we have to pound sense into these moronic sons of bitches."_

He smirked. There were times when he really liked the Ice Queen.

_Too bad she's shacked up with Selfridge. _

"You heard the lady, north-east at cruising speed if you please." he ordered with a smile, loving the feel of the roaring engines as they smoothly lifted the behemoth vessel into the air, the radar painting the picturesque image of a full aerial company moving in formation around them.

"Mr. Green, some music if you please."

The copilot grinned, brought up the list of pieces that had been worked out months prior, just in case, and tapped the _play_ icon.

Behind him, the native jumped in her wheelchair as _The Battle Hymn of the Republic_ began to blast from every speaker, both internal and external speaker on the gunships of the fleet.

Far below, in the prisoner of war camp, Ean'atane grimaced and covered her ears against the unearthly screeching that filled the air, other members of the people rising to their feet slowly and doing the same, struggling to discover what was happening this late at night.

_Tawtute_ warriors were racing to and fro, some attaching various things to their _kunsips, _others checking their weapons before racing aboard them. A large group of the machine walkers strode purposefully, weapons clasped tightly in iron hands, into the largest _kunsip_, even as the irritating whine began to build as the flying machines were brought to unnatural life.

"_The fighting has begun then.._" she whispered, staring through the 'fencing' as the _kunsip_ fleet began to slowly climb into the air, and utterly bizarre music began to blare through the night, and she prayed fervently to Eywa that her mate would be safe, and that the righteous children of the goddess would be victorious this night.

Finishing her soft prayer, she glanced around, trying to come up with some way of being able to escape from the confines of the _tawtute_'s cage.

Nothing immediately came to mind. The thin wire walls were far taller than she was, and the four structures that held the guards were located just beyond them. She could see the alien in each one, weapons resting lightly in their hands as they watched the massive force whirl from the ground.

None of her kin had made any attempts to escape since the first young male had been shot after trying to make a run for it. Even the other warriors seemed rather uncertain about their chances of being able to run, with _tawtute_ warriors watching them at all times of every day.

"_And even if we did get beyond the fencing, and past the warriors above us, there are still those who are within their outer defenses." _she muttered to herself, feeling depression rise.

"_Still working out how to join the battle?_" a voice spoke from directly behind her, causing her start violently.

Spinning around, tail thrashing and ears pulled back, she glared at Itan'rep, the elder who seemed to have appointed himself leader of those taken captive.

"_They will kill you if you attempt to leave, or cripple you and leave you trapped in their halls of stone and metal._" his deep voice seemed out of place with his aged body, "_Though if you wish to spend time surrounded by them, feel free._"

She glared at him, "_Is it my fault that I despise the aliens and wish to do as Eywa wills?_"

"_It is when your kin might be harmed for you actions._" he glared at her in turn, ears slowly pulling back. "_I doubt that you would act alone, and these people have suffered enough pain without watching yet more of their kin be slain by the sky people._"

"_At least I have the courage do what the Goddess-_" The sharp sting of a slap flung her head to the right, and she blinked confusedly, mind trying to process what had happened.

"_I do not know if you noticed this, Ean'atane, but the goddess does not seem to rule over this place of stone and machines. The sky people rule this place, and, for now, we must do as they command. Once we have left this place, I do not care what you do. Hurl yourself at them with the passion and stupidity of youth all you desire."_ his tone had lowered, voice betraying that he expected what he said to be obeyed, "_But while you are here, you will do NOTHING that would bring harm upon yourself or others."_

Seething with anger, she hissed and snarled, "_YOU are NOT my Olo'eyktan! And I will-_"

Once again, he struck her before she could finish, but this time, she was expecting it. Twisting with the blow, she swung her leg down and around, intending to send the old fool flying to the ground. Instead, moving with impossible speed for a man of his age, he nimbly leaped over her leg before lashing out with a kick of his own, driving her to the ground.

Whirling into a crouch, she had a brief moment of clarity before his fist slammed into her cheek. She was temporarily aware of a spinning sensation, the world seeming to whirl about her. She tasted blood, heard the mocking laughter of a watching _tawtute_, and for some reason could feel the cool ground beneath her.

Then everything slowly faded to black as her body lost consciousness.

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**Date**: 3:42 AM, September 27th, 2174

**Location**: 35km North-East of Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

He had been staring, rather numbly, into the space ahead for some time now. The other _Olo'eyktan_ were glancing at him worriedly from atop their own mounts, looking extremely uncomfortable with the knowledge that Tri'vail had brought them.

_My father... my father... he.. fights against us..._

Something inside of him had broken at learning that his father was leading the forces against them, and he was lucky that the _pa'li _upon which he sat was smart enough to move on its own, because he was barely cogent of its presence.

_Why.. why would he fight beside the aliens that caused him so much pain? The creatures that harmed mother, that he himself fought against not once, but twice, in Eywa's name? The demons that slew my namesake, grandfather, and so many others? That treat the forest not as a living thing, but as an object of irritation, to be destroyed at their whim?_

He could not even begin to think of an answer, and that, more than anything, was what terrified him. Somehow his father, the man he respected more than any other being, more even than his goddess, had somehow been convinced by someone or something to fight against him, his own son!

_I thought I was doing him proud.. doing everything he wanted done the first time, fighting with my mind rather than just my spirit.. no... no.. NO! _

Shaking his head violently, he tried to use reason, just as his father would have wanted, not relying on his turbulent emotions to figure out what was happening.

_He swore to not fight against them in exchange for their healing of mother, that I understand. But he still had no love for them, and wanted to avoid them at all costs, he said he did not like their new leader, that female. The sky people did take Pey'ral though... no, healing her in exchange for making him fight his own blood? He would not have agreed to any such thing. _

His mind continued to work, face slowly drawing away from the blank visage it had worn into a frown of concentration, the others around him relaxing slightly as they recognized their champion's spirit returning to his body after the shock.

_The Eastern Sea clan.. the other Tsahik said that their leader, Tun'txampay, was acting unusual at the Great Meeting, that she did not seem to have received a vision from the Great Mother... of course.. of course! Eywa did not send her a vision because she was already a traitor to her kin, the sky people must have offered her something, something enough to convince her to side against us. Their heretical thoughts about Eywa, about how she is not a goddess.. they must have hooked their lies into her flesh, and used her to do something to father!_

What he didn't know, but the _tawtute_ were far too clever by far, and he had no doubts that they could have done something to his father after the heretic had lured him away from the _kelutral_.

_That is why he went missing after the duel! They must have lured him to the Eastern Sea clan, where mother and I would not be able to remind him of who he truly is, where they could strike at his weakened and grieving mind._

Nodding slowly, he began to speak his thoughts aloud to the others, letting his voice rise enough so that the other warriors could hear. The morale of having pushed back the traitors twice, nearly breaking them, had been destroyed by the knowledge that _toruk'makto_ fought against them. Eywa's will or not, his father's presence carried significant power, one that the heretics and their alien allies must have recognized.

But he was the son of Jake'sully, and his voice carried weight as well.

By the time he had finished laying out his thoughts, the warriors nearby were quietly spreading the word, snarling in rage at the idea that the heretics would dare corrupt the mighty _toruk'makto_, that they would dare use his _tawtute _heritage against him.

Even as the word spread, and the morale of his warriors began to rise with their anger, he carefully searched his memories, pushing his own rage aside, attempting to remember what he knew of the landscape they approached.

He motioned the other leaders to bring their _Pa'li_ closer to his own so that they might speak, "_There is a dried up river ahead, the basin is very wide, and I have no doubt they will make their last stand upon the opposite treeline. It will be very difficult to cross, even given how few arrows they must have left by now."_

"_We have little enough in return though,"_ Tri'vail spoke, looking grim, "_At your order all our warriors have several reserved to fight the aliens with, but most only have one or two remaining to battle the heretics with._"

"_I know," _the young champion nodded, "_So here is what we shall do. All the warriors who have arrows to spare will give them to our sixteen very best riders. You will lead them wide east, around the enemy, and then take them from the rear on that flank. Those on pa'li who remain will charge the enemies other flank to draw their attention in that direction, while we on foot move ahead once the battle is joined. The other clans are no doubt gaining on us, and they are relying upon our success to draw the sky people off guard so that their own hunt shall go well."_

"_I shall strike at their traitorous hearts."_ the other male promised, beating his bow against his chest, "_And we shall do so swiftly enough that we might yet strike the aliens this night!"_

"_Then go my brother, ride as though you were upon ikran!"_

_

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**Date**: 3:49 AM, September 27th, 2174

**Location**: Hell's Gate, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

_Hauptmann_ Werner, commanding officer of the Fourth Company on Pandora, was warily watching as his men, very delicately, placed the drones onto their launching racks.

They looked nothing like the sleek, stealthy designs that dominated the skies of Terra, they looked more akin to missiles that just happened to have long wings and a small air intake for their engines rather than a solid-fuel rocket.

The drone were based on a very old Finnish design from the Third World War. The Finns, desperate for working drones given their very low population base, but realizing early on that the propensity of EMP weaponry meant that conventional drone designs would be all but useless, had looked to the past for a low-tech solution to the problem of unmanned aircraft. What they had come up with was both genius and slightly insane.

Basing their system entirely around mechanical controls rather than electronic ones, they had managed to make what amounted to a hybrid between an advanced drone and something eerily similar to a Nazi VI buzz-bomb. The only electronic system aboard was the tiny system that would be used to set the various components to the proper settings for its flight path at launch time. It had no IFF, no ability to change its course once launched, no ability to tell friend from foe on the ground beneath it. All it had was various timers and levers that would tweak its flaps and engine to keep on its preset course. It was an incredible surprise when their expeditionary force moved into the Balkan region, the various guerillas groups stunned by the sudden drone bombing campaign. That the drones occasionally went of course or bombed the wrong area, or simply blew up altogether much like their V1 ancestors, was considered acceptable given their overall success as terror weapons.

That also meant it was perfect for us in the highly irradiated and fluctuating atmosphere of Pandora, where most unhardened systems lasted only a few hours, and there was no guarantee it could function at all, even outside of the flux vortex zones. That they could be made almost entirely of scavenged materials without placing an undo burden on the mining operations was a massive bonus as well.

That was all well and good, but it was not the reason he and everyone else were being extremely wary around them.

There had been known to be.. incidents.. when the very delicate machinery was jostled too heavily during movement or launch, even with the various safeties engaged. And as each drone's cargo bay was filled with small napalm bombs, his people were taking caution to a whole new level.

He glanced at his computer again, waiting for the final coordinates from the strike team. Each drone could fly much faster than the Samsons, meaning that waiting for them to arrive and perform their function would not be a problem, but as they could not change the drones setting mid-flight, they need to know _exactly _where the mechanical creations needed to drop their weapons.

"Coordinates coming in now _Hauptmann._" the communications officer relayed, glancing warily at the drones through his own exopack even as he passed his tablet to Werner. "Strike team is sitting in cloud cover above the fight, and the blue-skin managed to determine who was on what side easy enough."

Nodding over them, he carefully inputted the final flight plans and drop sites.

"Prepare to launch." he intoned somberly, his men making the last checks before scrambling away from the machines.

Tapping the transmit button on his own tablet, he backed away rapidly, able to hear the quiet clicking and straining of the various devices settling into position inside of the hulls.

Joining his people behind the blast shields, he listened to the countdown, watching intently.

"_Funf... vier... drei.. zwei.. einse!_" the launch officer intoned, as the engines kicked-on, the launching rockets sparking to life as the drones suddenly sliced into the air, fluttering northwards.

_This is going to be an interesting morning_ he mused, before turning to his people again, shouting for them to clear the take-off zone and get their three Samsons out to the lake where the drones were, in theory, supposed to touch-down in an hour or so.

* * *

**Date**: 4:00 AM, September 27th, 2174

**Location**: Above Battlefied North of Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Pey'ral watched, feeling numb, through the strange screen as the battle was joined far beneath them. Were it not for what she was seeing, she would have been fascinated by the idea of a machine that let you see what was happening so far below as though you were just above it on your _ikran_.

As it was, she just felt numb and sick, watching as _pa'li_ raced across the river basin into the tree line, knowing that viscous hand-to-hand fighting was now occurring just out of sight. Slim flickers of light revealed the shafts of arrows hurling from the trees, forcing the warriors who were sprinting on foot to hurl themselves to the ground.

Her mind, not seeming to be content with how miserable she already was, filled in the sounds of screaming and chaotic battle for her, even though the _kunsip_ was largely silent.

_The kunsip..._ she shuddered, struggling not to look around her. Even seated as she was, the chamber was very, very small, and the pale white lights were very dim compared to the numerous blue screens and icons around her.

It was all she could do not to scream and curl up, refusing to look at anything until she had left. She had retched shortly before they had brought her aboard, the mere memory of being within its belly, and the memories that it in turn had brought back to her, causing her to lose her stomach.

The sympathetic eyes of Norm'spellman, and the curious frowns that the _tawtute _warriors had given her , when she was brought aboard, clutching her 'wheelchair' with white knuckles, had forced her pride to the surface, and she had relentlessly controlled her mind since, diverting its attention whenever she thought she might be falling back into waking nightmares.

She forced herself to ask quietly, "_When will they strike?_"

Norm'spellman replied, eyes also glued to the device before them, "_They are sending machines with no warriors within them from _Hell's Gate_ to strike first, to cause chaos and fear before they dive down into the fray._"

She wanted to whimper softly, only her pride as a huntress kept her mouth shout and throat still.

Her kin, far below her, whom she had just identified for the _tawtute_, would soon be surrounded by fire and death, even as yet more enemies dove upon them from the sky.

And, to make matters as worse as possible for her, it was truly the least evil of the options available to her. Without her knowledge, the _tawtute_ might have simply laid waste to everything before them, even those seeking to stop the senseless rounds of war and violence.

But that she had been forced to choose who would live and who would die.. that she had been forced to quietly identify her young kin, who would have been the future of the people, who should have been able to live long lives, bear children into the world, and live to see those children in turn find mates of their own...

She closed her eyes and let her head bow, murmuring a very soft prayer to Eywa, begging for forgiveness from the goddess even as she fought against her the Great Mother's will.

Finishing, she heard a _tawtute_ intoning something quietly nearby, and glanced over, a frown on her face. The male warrior had bowed his head slightly, eerily similar to how she had just had hers, and was speaking in very low tones to himself.

"_What is he doing?_" she asked Norm'spellman, keeping her own voice soft as to not disturb whatever was being done.

"_Praying to his god._" the _toktor _replied quietly. "_Praying for victory, that the god will watch over he and his friends this day, and that this will be the last battle here._"

The _tawtute _seemed to finish, raising a hand in some form of gesture before its body before nodding and blowing out its breath, settling in for the fight.

"_What is the god of the sky people like, if you have no Great Mother?_" from the way the other _tawtute_ were acting, she felt certain that the battle was near, and was desperate for any form of distraction from that knowledge.

"_It depends on the religion.. not all of us have the same god, or even believe in one at all. Some worship the same god, but do so in different ways or believe that different aspects of the god are stronger than others do. That man worships the Christian God, and that faith has existed for over two thousand seasons now._" he explained, even as the lights began to dim from white to blue, and her heart began to beat wildly within her chest.

"_Please.. keep talking.._" she struggled not to hyperventilate, concentrating on the _toktor_'s voice, as he quietly explained some of the basic tenants that the worshipers of that god believed in, and how there were numerous different groups that also worshiped the same god, just in different ways.

Below her, hulls painted darkly to obscure their passage, six unmanned drones fanned out, preparing to open their small bomb-bay doors, to rain fire and destruction upon the trees behind the advancing forces, the aim to trap them in the open.

She felt the floor shift beneath her feet as the _kunsip_ began to bank, and the ground began to rise as it and the dozens of its smaller kin descended towards the battle.

This time she was not able to quiet the soft whimper that came from her throat, and, eyes glued to the forward 'windows' so as to not have to look at the softly glowing blue light, she began to murmur another prayer, asking _Eywa_ to guide the souls of all who died this day.

Once again, music began to slowly rise from the very walls around them, not the chorus that had sung glory and praise to a god of war, but instead what sounded like machines given life blared loudly, a single voice crying in the 'german' language, and what seemed to be countless pairs of _tawtute_ feet strode in unison across the stone surfaces that they loved so much.

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**Next up is Chapter 15: Howling Wolves**

And here is the next chapter, bit later than intended because I got sidetracked with my original fic again. The battle is entering its next phase and stuff is about to start blowing up everywhere, hope you all are still enjoying it as much as the reviews seem to say :).

Next chapter we'll see the humans start to obliterate things as they are want to do, and the battle will become nice and chaotic as it heads towards its bloody conclusion. After that.. we'll see who survived the fight and how they begin to cope with what happened.

Oh, and I went with The Battle Hymn of the Republic cuz I just finished watching Gettysburg and felt it was appropriate all things considered, and because Ride of the Valkyries/1812 Overture are just over-done at this point.

**I love the reviews, so please keep giving them!**

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**Author's Notes**

This chapter was interesting to write, as it was less about the fighting for me and more about the next stage of the battle that's going to occur when the humans show up. And we still have the other hawk-clans who haven't shown up yet, so I might yet stretch the fighting out to two chapters instead of just one, depends on how developed it gets while I write. Should be fun.

Hope you all like the new human weapons, they were inspired by the mentions of EMP weaponry being extensively employed in some article on the scorpion gunship (can't remember where), and I thought 'huh, that would make drones rather useless, but there has to be some bizarre way of getting them to at least sort-of work'. Gave the finns credit, cuz.. well, finland is just a bad-ass country when it comes to war.

As far as my own story goes, I did finish an alpha, which a few people I showed it to really liked, so now i'm working on a much longer beta. It revolves around a realistic space battle out in neptune's orbit, and the people I had read it rather liked the less-than happy ending. Again, not sure what is going to happen between that and my fanfiction, but don't expect anything huge until after Furor is done and I figure out exactly what I need to do over everything.

~ Kat


	17. Chapter 15: Howling Wolves

I don't own Avatar.

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**Chapter 15: Howling Wolves**

**Date**: 04:01, September 27th, 2174

**Location**: Battlefield North of Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

The soft smell of the soil filled his nostrils, even as his ears were filled with the shouts and screams of combat.

Tsu'tey snarled in irritation, raising his head above the embankment for a mere moment before ducking down before any of the traitors could aim their bows upon him. The glance had revealed the still bodies of three of his kin who had attempted to make a break from the embankment to the tree line, only to be cut down before they had even made it halfway. Beyond them, the mounted warriors who had been able to reach the treeline were barely visible, fighting for their lives against the foul things arrayed against them.

_Eywa takes these fools! We do not have time for this!_

His mind quickly began to work out the timing involved. His flanking force would be even now approaching, preparing to strike against the enemies backs, but if he could not get the attention of his foes, their strike would not generate the surprise needed for a true killing blow.

And more than that, there could not be much time left until dawn. If they did not break through the traitors to the aliens they sheltered, he and the others would be forced to scatter and fall back to their home trees, and hope to strike again another night.

Had this been the raid as he had originally planned it, he would have been less concerned with haste, and would have taken more care in ensuring that his warriors remained spread out, so that there would be no chance of the _tawtute _detecting the death that came for them.

But this was not how he planned it. He had never planned that his mate would not be doing battle by his side, that she might be kept in the cold, unnatural home of the aliens.

_Or that we would be three tribes short because some fools do not understand anything of the Tawtute!_

He swore violently, and called as loudly as he dared, "_Everyone! Bows around your chests, draw your knives and raise your spears!"_

Half-hearing the warriors and hunters passing the word up and down the line, he risked another glance, trying to see the bowmen waiting in the trees. The enemy, damn their spirits, had let his faster _pa'li_ riders make it to the trees, but had cut down many of his dismounted kin before they had been able to take shelter behind the long embankment that had once marked the bank of the river.

No one, least of all himself, particularly wanted to leap forwards and make the final sprint. The enemy had more than proven their skill with bows through their night of battle, the high number of losses that his kin had suffered could attest to _that_ unfortunate fact.

Launching a direct attack was the last thing that he wanted to do, but they were not spoiled for choice at the moment.

Nodding firmly once to himself, he filled himself with a deep breath, and bellowed at the top of his lungs, "_Forwards!"_

At least, he thought he bellowed it at the top of his lungs. He could not be sure, because the sky had suddenly blossomed into fire and sound.

His eyes snapped upwards, giving him the briefest glimpse of what had to be a _tawtute_ machine, or at least, the blasted remains of one, even as it flicked by overhead, slamming into the ground on the far side of the dry bank with another titanic blast.

It took a moment for his mind to resume working once the wave of air from the machine's death had finished picking him up and slamming him back down against the soft soil.

"_Forwards!"_ He called out as loudly as he could forcing his limbs to haul his body up, fingers digging into the embankment as he feet churned, propelling him upwards. _"Forwards!_"

The warriors around him, every bit as stunned as he had been, struggled to follow their _Olo'eyktan_, shouting and cursing for everyone else to follow them.

They had to move, and had to move _now_. The first explosion of the _tawtute_ device had occurred directly over the treeline, the arches within those trees would be stunned and disoriented for a few precious moments.

And now, they had even more incentive to move fast, as fast as possible. Where one _tawtute_ device was, there were bound to be more. If the aliens were going to intervene in this conflict, then it was critical that they drive these traitors forth, and be ready to fight against the _real_ enemy.

Clearing the small embankment, he lurched slowly into as fast a sprint as his aching body allowed, eyes fixated upon the treetops, waiting for the arrow that would flicker forth and end his life.

When none came, his face split into a thin grin.

_Foolish aliens! That thing died its death above the heretics; they have harmed them more than us!_

A few of the enemy managed to regain their wits and snap shots down into his charging warriors, their cries of sudden agony barely audible against the increased noise of the still raging combat that awaited them within the trees.

"_Into the trees!"_ he bellowed as loudly as he could, hoping that his voice would be heard, "_Ascend into the trees and slay their archers!_"

Suiting his actions to his words, he leaped onto a nearby tree and began to scramble up as rapidly as he could, the bark of the tree stinging his hands.

He ignored the pain, focusing instead upon the form high above him, his grin growing wider as an arrow whipped down and away, the old fool above totally ignorant of the righteous death that approached him.

Ignoring the exhaustion that pulled at his limbs, he snatched his blade from its sheathe upon his chest as he drew near the massive branch upon which the heretic rested.

The heretic must have seen him out of the corner of his eye, letting out a startled curse and dropping his bow, scrambling for his own knife.

"_Too slow traitor!"_ he crowed, hurling himself up with a single muscle screaming motion and digging his blade up and into his foe's chest, piercing the aged heart with a single motion, "_May Eywa punish you with the truth for all time!_"

Carefully reaching out, he snatched the remaining arrows from the dead man's quiver and placed them within his own before simply letting the body tumble from the tree.

Panting as exhaustion long held at by threatened to overwhelm his will, he rested an arm against the tree's trunk and glanced down at the battle below.

The warriors who had ridden in upon their _pa'li_ had fallen back, letting those who had charged in with him take up the main brunt of the battle whilst they braced themselves against trees and panted for breath.

Even in his exhaustion he felt fierce pride and approval as his people, the true followers of _Eywa_, pushed the still startled traitors back, deeper into the trees. Glancing from one side to the other, he could pick out the motions of careful combat upon the various boughs of the great trees as other members of his allied tribes dealt with the remaining archers.

Turning his gaze behind him, he was attempting to see if there were any warriors remaining in the dry river bed when he finally noticed the rising wall of fire behind them.

"_Cursed aliens.._" he swore softly, letting his eyes track across the burning trees upon the far side of the dry bed. The _tawtute_ had apparently used their machines to lay a curtain of fire behind and around them. The orange and red glow covered a broad arc, with a single long gap, to the north, east, and west.

_They attempt to entrap us, prevent us from being able to fade into the trees. They would not do such a thing if they believed the heretics truly capable of stopping us. They are coming. _

His eyes turned to the heavens, _Dawn comes, and there is not much time remaining before the Mountain clans strike at the tawtute's heart. We will not have struck to weaken them.. but perhaps…_ he face slowly became a grin again, _Perhaps this is an even greater distraction than we hoped for! If the aliens are here, they will be forced to choose between doing battle with us and returning to their unnatural '_mine_'_.

The grin turned to a snarl as he gazed at the battle below, _And furthermore, we might yet drive these traitors back, and free my father from the thrall of that heretic!_

Sheathing his blade for the moment, he began his descent to the ground, carefully working out his new plan for battle as he did so.

* * *

**Date: **04:15, September 27th, 2174

**Location**: Battlefield North of Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Jake had no idea what had happened to his bow. Or to his knife. Which, on an entirely irrational level, severely annoyed him. He had put a lot of effort into crafting both tools, and to lose them meant that several days worth of painstaking work would have to be redone.

Not that he had the time to really bitch and complain about such a little thing as losing his favorite weapons, he was far too busy fighting with everything he had left.

He had taken a spear from one of the deceased warriors, and was using it to frantically parry away the blows coming in from two young warriors who had teamed up to try and take him down.

Both seemed to be fighting to incapacitate, rather than kill, him, no doubt due to his former status as _toruk'makto, _which was both good and bad for him. Good, in that they weren't seriously making an effort to kill him. Bad, in that it meant both of them were being quite cautious in their fighting style, making it a pain for him to either knock them out or kill them and move on.

Parrying a quick blow from the male's knife, he stepped back quickly, using the butt of the long weapon to drive the similarly armed woman back, her own spear batting his aside.

The male let out a quick war-cry and closed, trying to get within his spears useful range, when he suddenly drew back, a spear flicking in front of his face as Tun entered the fray with a low snarl.

Trusting her to deal with him, he turned all of his efforts to defeating the young woman before him. Wood cracked as their spears crashed against one another, the young warrior trying to use her quickness to beat his brute strength.

Her mistake came when she tried to dart in and then back, seeking to lure him into a lunge that would let her smash the butt of her weapon against his head.

Easily reading the move, it was one that Pey'ral had favored, and thus one he had sparred against all the time, he faked falling for it, only to duck as her weapon spun above his head. As she sought to recapture her balance, he easily returned the favor, slamming a his weapon sidewise against her head, sending her tumbling to the ground, unconscious.

A war-cry turned into a choking gurgle behind him told him that Tun had not been as merciful as he.

Grimacing, but not saying anything to his companion, he instead turned his gaze slowly on the battlefield around him. It seemed to have slowed, both sides drawing back slightly, taking deep breaths of air to rejuvenate exhausted muscles for the final push.

Tun started towards the nearest group of enemies, stopping only when he snapped an arm out and pulled her back.

"_Everyone who can, fall back on me!"_ he shouted as loudly as he could, ignoring the vacant stare his friend was giving him. He had no idea what had finally caused her to snap, be it seeing so many more of her clan laying dead upon the ground, or maybe the occasional enemy chant promising 'the punishment of _Eywa_ to the heretics'.

All he knew for sure was that it had turned her into a berserker, a vacant-eyed killing machine that ignored the dozen small cuts covering her body, saying nothing, seemingly feeling nothing. She had hurled herself at any enemy nearby without regard to her positioning or theirs, and had saved a dozen lives, including his own, a dozen times over.

What warriors who could break from the battle and fall back did so, most of the enemy seeming content to let them fall back several dozen paces, as they themselves seemed eager to catch even a short break before the final push.

_The final push.. the final battle.. that everyone knows must come._ He had heard, and seen, the explosion above, and the light flickers of fire in the far distance. The humans were here, or at least, nearby. Tsu'tey would push everyone he had, including himself, as hard as he could to drive off... or finish off, what forces Jake had left so that he could do battle with the foe he obsessed over.

He frantically punched his weary and battered mind, struggling to come up with a plan that would work.

_Can't retreat.. they'll pursue and overrun us. Can't stay in place for the same reason, they're already forming up on our flanks. Only one option.. attack, and hope the humans can tell us apart..._

Tossing a glare at the sky, he muttered to himself, "Someone up there, be it _Eywa_ or God, has a very sick sense of humor_._"

As if to punctuate his own point, gunfire suddenly roared to life in the distance behind them before falling off abruptly.

Shaking his head wearily, he glanced around at the blank and equally tired faces surrounding him, "_We're about to be surrounded, and we have to hold them here for as long as we can! Everyone must fight together, fight for the brothers and sisters next to you, protect their bodies as though they are your own!"_

Less than half of the warriors who had begun the fight under his banner remained, and only about half of that were able to disengage to join him. The rest, including Mu'ran and Txemp'mun'i, assuming they still lived, were still frantically fighting for their lives elsewhere in the forest.

"_Form up here, half circle centered on me and Tun!"_ he kept shouting, even as his voice began to fail, "_Do not retreat, do not fear! Remember your kin who died this day! Remember all who died before! Remember all who will die if these morons have their way! We must stand here, and remind these idiots that it is we who are the hunters! We who stalked the palulukan and ran with the nantang in the night while they played their childish games!"_

He beat his spear against his chest with one hand, glaring at the gathering enemy, as his frustration and anger at all that had happened began to boil over, "_They believe they follow the goddess's will, and that we are heretics! Let them! We are the ones who have bled, we are the ones who have watched loved ones die! We know pain! We know the fear of an enemy more terrible than they could ever dream of becoming! They think that they know war! That they are as bold as we, as skilled as we. Perhaps Eywa stands by their side, but we have someone as strong as she upon ours! Death watches over us, for it is we have known him the longest!"_

Many of the warriors on both sides were staring at him now, many of the older warriors nodding slowly and letting grins fall onto their face as they began to work themselves into a frenzy, much as Tun had.

"_They outnumber us, yet it is they who fear death, for they do not know him! It is we, the true warriors of the Na'vi, who know what it means to die for a cause, who know what it means to sacrifice everything for the sake of those you love!" _He slammed his spear into the ground at this, still seething with rage, and finding his son in the preparing enemy, letting all his anger had what he had become, what Eywa had turned him into, fuel him, "_Come on then! Come on you young fools! Your elders are waiting for you! Do you not wish to be heroes this day! Didn't the singers tell you that the only heroes worthy of song are the dead! Come on then, and we will make you heroes if you wish it!"_

The young warriors stared, stunned at Toruk'matko's screaming rant, eyes wide and tails flicking in indecision.

"_Then we shall come to you!"_ he bellowed, suiting action to words and sprint forwards, even as Tun let out a ear-splitting war-cry and let her own body break into a sprint.

The rest of their warriors did not hesitate an instant before letting out their own war-cries and sprinting forwards, weapons raised as they bellowed curses at the young fools awaiting them.

Even as his spear slammed home into a young man's stomach, he heard a war-cry bellow that only his son's throat could produce, and their punch-drunk foes lurched into motion, their own snarls and cries resounding as the final battle was well and truly joined.

* * *

**Date**: 04:29, September 27th, 2174

**Location**: Above the Battlefield North of Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

_Hauptmann _Wolfgang Prochnow nodded in silent approval as his AMP suit slammed into the ground, the broad metal legs absorbing the impact with a quiet groan as he twisted the torso both left and right, letting his eyes scan the trees as he searched for any blue-skins.

Around him, the other members of his suit team were slamming down to the ground, their weapons moving with their heads as they covered the descending Samsons and the infantrymen leaping out and onto the ground. The men of his company fanned out around the landing zone slowly, keeping eyes in every direction even as they began to prepare to move northwards.

He snorted as one of the last Samsons laboriously hauled the mechanics' newest toy down to the landing zone, and small flashes indicated the holding cables being blown away as soon as the machine hit the ground.

The daredevil mechanics whom had built it, and were now taking it into battle, had christened it '_The Thing_', even going so far as to painting the name on its side in garish red paint.

No one, least of all himself, could say that it was not a thing. In all of his years of combat, he had seen a lot of jury-rigged equipment used in combat, and a lot of the rigs had been quite bizarre. But this one.. this one was by far and away the oddest.

It was a Frankenstein creation, the mechanics having taken the treads from a disabled slash cutter, sheet metal from the hulls of decrepit RDA ground assault vehicles, and he wasn't even sure where the engine had come from. The 'armor' was not even hardened enough to stop bullets, and he had no idea how well it would work against arrows. The men inside could only see outwards through thin vision slits cut into the metal, or by sticking their heads out of their hatches, with both the driver and gunner were currently doing.

The equally makeshift turret held a total of six 20mm cannon, three mounted on wing pods on both sides of the turret. They'd also managed to hook up a machine gun on one side, and he knew for a fact that there was enough ammunition packed into the hull for the machine to explode with the force of a massive bomb if it all went off.

Everyone agreed that the three men inside were certifiably insane, and he shook his head in bemusement as the 'tank' lurched haltingly into gear and slowly began to head towards the fight.

The _Hauptmann_ flicked his mic on, "All forces, advance at best AMP speed, first platoon on me, second take the left flank, third the right, fourth stay with the mechanics. Snipers with fourth. All forces await my go-ahead to fire unless fired upon."

Quick affirmatives from his men, and a sullen one from the Russian sniper team, sounded off in his ear.

He let a smile tug at his lips as he slowly pushed his Medusa decorated suit into a quick walk. The issue with AMPs was that just because they _could_ move in nearly any terrain, did not mean that they could move _quickly_ in nearly any terrain. Undergrowth that the _Thing_ was simply crushing beneath its treads had to be carefully worked through by himself and his other seven suits.

"Eyes glued to motion and sound trackers," he ordered, "Second and Third keep a close watch on the flanks."

The Austrians slowly pushed their way forwards through the jungle and undergrowth, the eyes of the AMP pilots flicking rapidly between watching where they were going and glancing rapidly over their monitors. The infantrymen, for their part, were continuously letting their eyes roam as they easily kept pace with the tall suits. The snipers, stuck trundling along next to the grinding and snorting _Thing_, hefted their heavy rail guns and swore quietly in their native tongue, glaring at the AMP suits ahead of them.

"_Movement, right flank, four hundred meters, closing at an angle._" The call was from the _Oberleutnant_ in command of third platoon, "_Definitely mounted, looks like they're aiming to hit someone in the back. Maybe two dozen strong._"

"Third Platoon form firing line, suits seven and eight move to support, all other forces continue the advance. Fire at your discretion _Oberleutnant_." he snapped. Two dozen natives on their mounts against a single platoon would be a massacre as it was, adding the two AMP suits to the line simply ensured overkill.

He watched with half an eye as the icons representing the two amp suits and single platoon of infantry held in place and shifted into a rough line facing the swiftly moving block of red approaching from the northwest.

At roughly a hundred and fifty meters out, the blue-skins must have finally taken note of the force on their flank, as their heat signatures suddenly shifted in direction, turning directly towards the platoon.

His subordinate let them finish their turn and close to roughly two hundred meters before he gave the word. "_Feuer Frei._"

Fifteen assault rifles and two 20mm cannon opened fire, short, disciplined bursts splitting the air with the sound of their passage.

There weren't two dozen enemies. At most there was a dozen and a half. All were dead within moments of his men opening fire.

"_All hostiles eliminated. Stupid schweine, some might have lived had they the sense to flee instead of charge."_

"Good shooting Third, now fall back into formation, double time. Let the AMP suits catch up."

Another quick acknowledgment came as his men began to run, struggling to get back into their place on his flank, the AMP suits laboriously struggling to push through the undergrowth and an increased pace.

"_Sir, ahead, picking up the battle._"

His eyes snapped away from shoving a group of vines out of his way to his sensors, focusing on the slowly clearing ball of red nearly directly ahead.

_No, not one concentration._ He frowned at the data stream, _One small, tight formation surrounded on three sides by another. The losing side is the group that we are here to support, if the positioning is right. And the drones actually seem to have worked, those lines beyond the battle must be the napalm wall. So our task is simple then, hurl the savages back, trap them against the wall of fire, and smash them._

His mind raced as he worked out how to accomplish his objective.

"Fourth platoon, _Thing_, Sniper team, advance _past_ the enemy on the left flank and take up positions overlooking the river bed. First Platoon, were going to move onto Sully's right, Second onto his left. Smash the blue-skins and drive them into the open, but do not pursue past the treeline. Fourth platoon and our air cover will annihilate them once we had driven them all back. Third platoon will act as a reserve." he gave the orders, making sure that he was on the all-band frequency so that the Colonel above him would be able to hear.

And it was Theodas who answered, "_This is Alpha Wolf, Air cover unavailable, First Company is withdrawing with all speed to Tartarus, second hostile group picked up, approaching Mine Site Two. We will be back to pick you up once we have dealt with them. Hunt well Jaeger._"

"_Scheise._" he spat, "This is _Jaeger_, confirm loss of air cover Alpha Wolf. Third platoon, double time it, move into formation next to Fourth once you have caught up."

"_Moving at best speed sir."_

Shoving offending plants away and moving as quickly as he dared, he again struggled to keep his AMP suit moving while still paying attention to how his men formed up, each platoon moving as rapidly as they could into position.

_And Second platoon is moving to cover the Fourth as they near the battle, to make sure that the enemy cant interfere with their passage._ He felt a fierce approval at that display of initiative.

Even as he and his platoon closed upon the battle, the clear division of friend and foe suddenly disintegrated, as both sides seemed to spontaneously hurl themselves at one another.

Sulfurous swearing filled his earpiece, and he didn't even bother to snap for radio silence, he was too busy muttering his own curses.

How the hell were they supposed to tell friend from foe _now_?

"_Scheise scheise scheise!_" he spat, "Infantry, form out around the south side of the battlefield, AMP suits on me!"

Sparing a moment to glare at the rolling ball of battle now only a hundred meters away, he spat another oath as the other exoskeletons formed up around him while the infantry spread out, taking up cover, weapons carefully raised.

He waved an arm forwards, "Infantry, open fire on anyone who attacks the AMP suits, AMP team, you all know what Sully looks like, attack anything going after us or him. Take them."

And with that, six AMP suits lurched into motion, mechanical legs churning as they sprinted as fast as they dared into the chaotic melee.

* * *

**Date**: 04:58, September 27th, 2174

**Location**: Above the Battlefield North of Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Pey'ral was not sure what was worse at this point: the enclosed space that was constantly seeking to drag her memories to the fore, or the cool, detached, and seemingly unconcerned way that the _tawtute_ were making war upon her people.

A voice crackled over their speaking devices, and the warrior whose job it was to listen spoke something in turn to their warrior leader.

She did not even have to ask Norm'spellman to translate at this point, he simply anticipated that she would ask and saved her the trouble.

"_The ground forces encountered a group of pa'li riders trying to attack Jake from the rear and took them out, they're moving on towards the fight."_ he reported.

The huntress gave him an exasperated look, "_That is all that was said? There was no emotion, no sense of victory, it was as though they were speaking of nothing of importance!_"

Norm grimaced, "_To them.. it wasn't. This isn't a large fight, at all, by sky people standards, and from what it sounded like they blind-sided the riders, killed them before they knew what was happening."_

"_It was still fighting, and people still lay dead now, and they think it was uninteresting!_" she wanted to scream in frustration. She had thought she would be able to lose herself in the emotion of the battle, the rise and fall of feeling as the war shifted around them.

Instead.. instead the _tawtute _looked almost bored, and she was getting desperate to keep the memories at bay.

"_To them, yes, it was uninteresting."_ to his credit, Norm seemed to know she wanted to be distracted, and was trying to keep talking to her, "_On our home-world, all the forces that we have here would be considered enough to defend, maybe, a small village from attack, assuming that they weren't outnumbered too badly. Usually fights have thousands upon thousands of warriors and machines, and last for many days, if not entire weeks."_

That did bring her attention around, "_They fight for weeks at a time? Over a single village?"_

"_There have been battles that lasted more than a season, sometimes even two full seasons."_ he provided helpfully, "_That seven or eight hundred days for us._"

"_That cannot be true._" she stated, sure that he was making things up now.

"_Let's see.. my history is a little rusty mind you._" he seemed to think it over, "_I can remember two. A place called _St. Petersburg_ over a century ago now, during the second war that raged across our whole planet. The other was at..._" he seemed to struggle for a moment, before turning and asking something of the leader of warriors, who responded instantly.

"_Ah yes, _Jerusalem_ during the third such war._" he finished.

She was about to ask how a war could rage over an entire world when one of the _tawtute_ suddenly shouted something, and their war-leader bellowed something in return.

The surface beneath her feet suddenly slanted hard to the left as the quite whine of the machine turned into a low roar.

Though the device she sat in kept her in place, Norm'spellman was forced to grab onto her, muttering non-stop apologies as he did so, to remain on his feet.

"_Stop apologizing, what is happening?_"

He seemed to take a moment to steady himself as the massive _kunsip_ resumed a more level flight, "_The man who shouted first said that they had picked up ikran'makto heading towards their home. The war-leader wanted confirmation, and as soon as they had it, ordered all of their kunsips to head there with all the speed they could._"

"_What of the warriors on the ground?"_ she frowned.

The _totktor_ relayed that question to the broader _tawtute_, who snapped something in reply.

"_Erm, he said that they could handle themselves, and that I should shut up and stop asking questions."_

She snorted slightly at that, remembering telling young hunters much the same thing when she was annoyed at how many questions they were asking about what was happening.

Leaning forwards, and ignoring the deep ache in her stomach that came with the motion, she watched as the trees whipped by underneath the machine as it hurled itself south, towards the glowing lights in the distance that represented the _tawtute_ home.

_The fools will strike at the _mine, _it is what they believe harms Eywa.. so that was their plan._ The pieces slowly fell into place in her mind, _Just as Jake'sully planned those years ago. Tsu'tey and his people would have struck as many places as possible to lure the tawtute away, so that a group of ikran makto might destroy as many machines as possible. _

Pey'ral said as much aloud, and the _toktor _nodded slowly, "_That sounds like something Jake would have wanted to do, and a better plan than the full-frontal attack."_

That earned another snort from her, "_It would be a good plan, if any of those attempting to carry it out were trained as Jake'sully trained us for war._ _They would have been slaughtered._ _They are being slaughtered._"

Norm seemed to grimace and turn a slight shade of green as he nodded.

She reached out and placed a steadying hand on his shoulder, her hand seeming massive on his small frame. "_You do not care for battle do you?_"

He shook his head slightly, "_It didn't used to. It was.. after we lost Bruce and Walsh to nantang.._" he shuddered visibly, _"Still have nightmares to be honest._"

Her eyes glanced aside, focusing almost against her will on a softly glowing blue light.

She snapped them shut and shook her head slowly. _No, no no no no! You are not in the caves, you are within the belly of a kunsip, next to a sky person toktor, and they are heading to do battle with your kin. You are safe, the past is done, what matters is trying to find a way to spare as many of the lives of the people as possible. Perhaps when all of this is over, you might speak with Norm'spellman on what happened to him.. and to me._

* * *

**Next up is Chapter 16: Quiet Starlight**

I'm sorry ^ 99999999999

This should have been done months ago, but it's only done now, and four days after my most recent promise said it would be done, but at least I did get it done right?

This is a rewrite of the old Chapter 15, and I think it is of much superior quality and works much better as far as how I wanted it to go. Starting the next chapter right now, so I hope to get it done in just a day or two (fingers crossed).

Kat

**As always, as many reviews as possible please!**


	18. Chapter 16: Quiet Starlight

I still don't own Avatar

**Chapter 16: Quiet Starlight**

* * *

**Date**: 05:15, September 27th, 2174

**Location**: Battlefield North of Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Part of Jake had held the tiniest bit of hope that once the humans waded into the fray that his son and those with him would realize exactly what they were up against, and would sensibly cease fighting.

The rest of him.. had known that that would never happen, that the only thing that would result, the only thing that _could_ result, from the two groups meeting was frenzied hate from those who still believed _Eywa_ to be omnipotent.

As was the norm these days, his pessimistic side proved to be right on the money. The six AMP suits had strode directly into the fray, using their massive guns like clubs as they simply smashed anyone who attempted to attack them, firing only at the few brave fools who sought to clamber up upon them.

For his part, that was entirely periphery information, garnered by slight glimpses from the corners of his eyes and the tracking of gunshots with his ears. All of his true focus lay upon the rough shaft of wood that was the spear he wielded, the stench of death around him, and the taste of blood, both his own and that of his foes, in his mouth.

He did not know how many of those who had joined him remained. Two dozen? A dozen? A handful? Was it just himself and Tun, fighting side by side?

The answer was clear.

It did not matter.

It did not matter who was left, who was still alive to take part in this insane act of fratricide.

All that mattered was that the battle still raged, and as long as either he or his son drew breath, it would continue to rage. Should his son come to some of his senses and flee, he could vanish into the jungle, and fly far, far away, to lands that had never felt the presence of humanity, where he might gather dozens of clans to his banner.

And then the battle would continue.

_No.. not that battle. The slaughter. _

This thought came as the lead AMP suit, covered in a portrait of a furious Medusa, simply batted aside a warrior, the young man's life cut short instantly as his broken body slammed into a tree.

"_Jake Sully!_" the pilot within, his accent thick and cloying, bellowed even as he put a round through another young man's head.

"What?" he snapped, batting aside a spear thrust from his own foe, driving a fist in the warriors throat, then using the opening as the young idiot choked and struggled for air to drive his spear point directly into his heart.

"_We must drive them into the open!"_ the AMP pilot shouted over the sound of his gun, three precise rounds ending the lives of three warriors even as they rushed towards them.

He snorted, heaving the spear into an _en garde_ position even as young woman, screaming with anger, hurled herself at him. "They'll break, just keep fighting!"

Once, he had been _toruk'makto_, leader of all Na'vi everywhere. He knew his people, he knew their limits, how far they could go. The melee now had resulted in far fewer deaths not because the most skilled warriors were dead, everyone was simply too tired to keep the fight raging. Even as he exerted himself against his new foe, her spear cracking against his, it was instantly clear to him that she had no strength left in her, just as he had none left in him.

That they had not simply turned tail and run with what little energy they had lift when the AMP suits first appeared was a small miracle in itself.

In the distance, one man simply turned and vanished into the trees when an AMP barreled down upon him.

Then a mated pair, fighting back to back, turned and bolted, their opponents too tired to pursue.

Then another young man. Then a woman. Then a group of four.

He could half hear his son bellowing for courage, his voice breaking in the distance.

The woman, no, the girl he fought against tried to turn and flee as several of her kin broke nearby, only to trip over her own tired legs and collapse upon the ground, spear flying from her grasp.

The AMP who had spoken to him opened fire fully now, with a difference between who was on each side now clearly visible. The heavy rounds tearing trees and bodies apart with equal disdain was the last straw. The young followers_ of Eywa, _even with their pure faith in the goddess and their utter rage at the aliens who harmed her, had been fought out. They had given everything that they could give in a full night of battle, and it had not been enough to defeat those who attempted to stop their reckless actions, nor enough to even begin to harm the aliens they loathed so.

Led by the Medusa machine, the various human suits slowly, almost leisurely pursued, infantrymen slowly moving in from the surrounding jungles to move with them, rifle fire occasionally echoing in the night.

"_Mu'ran! Tun! Txep!" _he called out, slightly stunned by how hoarse his voice had become.

"_Jake'sully,"_ he heard an exhausted Mu'ran call back, the young man staggered over, panting. "_Tun pursues your son with the sky people. Txep..."_ his youthful face turned grim, and he slowly shook his head.

"God dammit." he swore softly, heaving himself forwards, using the spear as a support as he struggled after the humans, and apparently Tun. "_Take care of the wounded brother, I will be back once I have seen this to the end._"

* * *

**Date**: 05:21, September 27th, 2174

**Location**: Battlefield North of Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

She had.. detached herself at some point in the battle. She was not really sure when it had happened, or why.

All Tun'txampay knew was that a red haze had descended over her vision, and the only thing that had mattered was killing the enemy, killing those cretins who worshiped a goddess who had begun to demand everything, yet give nothing back.

Killing those whom had slain so many of her tribe.

Maybe that thought had been it. The despair, brought on by the knowledge that she was the last of her clan upon this field, that the loss of yet more warriors would mean she might be forced to seek a merger with another clan, forsaking all of the glorious history and tradition of her own.

Or maybe it had been the fear of returning home, of bringing the sorrow in her heart to her entire clan, to the mates and children left behind. Perhaps it would be better to die, and to see if Eywa would claim her soul or leave her adrift, then return to those weeping faces.

All she truly knew was that when she finally began to truly become aware of her own actions, she was amidst a group of _tawtute_, pursuing the fleeing forms of their enemy towards the river bed. She had no idea where the aliens had come from, but that was immaterial at this point.

Occasionally one of the young idiots would simply collapse from exhaustion. Usually, the _tawtute_ nearest them would simply kick their weapons away, and move past. Once or twice, the moron would attempt to strike at the alien who came to disarm them, and the _tawtute_ would simply kill them with a short burst from their weapon.

It did not take them long to reach the edge of the trees, and watch the young fools collapsing behind the embankment that had once guided the course of the might river.

Dimly, she could hear Tsu'tey shouting orders, rallying his beaten army. A few even began to send what arrows they still had skywards, leading the _tawtute_ to snarl and curse in a language she did not recognize as they took shelter behind the trees.

Copying them, she glared out at the thin rise of soil, shouting as loudly as her beaten body would allow, "_Why don't you just give up you morons! It is over!"_

"_We will never cease our battle until the aliens are gone, and heretics such as yourself lie slain!"_ Tsu'tey shouted back, "_It is horrific enough that you ensnared my father, your corruption cannot be borne! How did you sway him from his family! Your words? Your body!"_

She snarled and moved to head out after him, fully intending to _strangle _the brat with her _bare _hands when a _tawtute_ woman seized her wrist, her small hand seeming even tinier as she tried to hold her back.

"_Nein! Halt!" _

Turning her gaze, she glared furiously at the pale thing, who gulped visibly as Tun's eyes bored into her own, before pointing slowly to the west.

Twisting her body the other way, she frowned in that direction until she saw it. In the far distance, near the edge of the line of fire, a _tawtute_ machine was somehow rumbling along, heading directly for the embankment.

She relaxed and nodded slowly, and the _tawtute_ warrior quickly let her arm go before ducking once more behind a tree as an arrow struck into the dirt nearby.

Biting her lip, she nodded slowly. If the warriors on the other side saw the machine coming, they might be able to sprint to where it would cross, with flame jars ready to attack it. They had to keep their attention _here_.

Part of her felt disgusted at what she was about to do and say. It was so.. _tawtute-_like. The rest of her decreed that it had to be done. Those before them.. would continue the fight. Even if taken captive, even if their loved ones were threatened with death at alien hands, they would continue the fight, and would do so with increasing rage and ferocity, until their entire world burned.

It had to end.. it had to end now.

As painful as it was.

"_Is that what you fear?"_ she called back to the young moron, "_That I bedded him? That his sky person half, whom does not mate for life, overcame him, that your mother was not enough to satisfy his lust?"_

"_Witch! Demon! You will die a thousand deaths for your words and your actions!" _the screaming rant bellowed back.

Letting loud, wheezing laughter escape her, she glanced down at the _tawtute _female who grinned as she seemed to realize what Tun was doing.

"_Does it pain you to think that?_" she continued, "_Does the image of him falling with me haunt your every waking moment?"_

She wondered idly where Tsu'tey had learned the words he was now screaming incoherently at her. Definitely not his father, Jake'sully cursed in _inglisi _more often than not.

_Probably his mother._

The _tawtute_ woman pointed at the embankment, before miming dropping her weapon, then pointing down at the machine which was finally rumbling up over the slight incline.

"_This is your last chance, all of you. Let your weapons go, and return to your clans."_ she shouted, knowing full-well what the answer would be.

"_Eywa shall teach you the meaning of suffering for all time!_"

She sighed, and shook her head, knowing that she signed the death sentence for all those spirits as she did so.

The _tawtute_ raised a hand to the device on her neck and spoke a pair of words.

"_Feuer frei._"

In the distance, the machine completed cresting the small hill, and the top half, with its protruding weapons, slowly turned until it was parallel to the embankment. It seemed to pause then, just for a moment, the _tawtute_ within no doubt correcting their aim.

Then all six of the long barrels began to spit death.

Even from a distance the noise was terrific. She grimaced as blood began to visibly spray up and into the air, soil and flesh flying upwards as the _tawtute_ device continued to roar.

Whatever real chance they had to flee had long passed, but that did not stop many from rising and sprinting as quickly as they could towards a single, odd gap in the flames.

The machine patiently shifted its fire, and she watched, her gut churning, as flickers of fire and invisible blows from the machine's weapons caused full, healthy bodies to simply disintegrate into bloody masses.

She had seen death, watched it, caused it. But never like this. This was a slaughter, a massacre for no other purpose than to cause death and destruction for its own sake.

When a young woman simply fell apart as the weapon's stream came over her, she lost control of her stomach, retching horribly.

A similar sound, and smell, nearby indicated that even the _tawtute_ were not immune to the horror of their own insanity.

At long last, the machine's weapons ceased hurling death, and utter silence fell upon the battlefield.

Jake'sully, leaning heavily upon a spear, slowly made his way up beside her, and stared out at the destruction and death, and wept silently. Not bothering to say a word, he haltingly made his way out towards the embankment.

Closing her eyes, she slowly followed him as the _tawtute_ carefully advanced around them.

* * *

**Date**: 05:35, September 27th, 2174

**Location**: Riverbed North of Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Tsu'tey stared into the dawning sky, letting the soft soil comfort his back, the earthy smell in his nose a pleasant companion.

He had always liked this time of the day, when the first rays of the sun would grace the heavens, and the forest began to awaken for a new day. It had always seemed to him as though _Eywa_ herself was gracing every portion of her world with her gentle embrace.

He coughed lightly, blood dribbling down his lips as he did so.

"_Eywa.. take that bitch..._" he swore quietly, coughing blood once more. He remembered the rage of her words, how his blood had boiled at the idea of that woman, no, that _thing_ laying with his father.

His ears had heard the shouted warning of a warrior, had turned in time to see a _tawtute_ machine in the distance finish positioning itself on their side of the embankment.

His voice had begun to shout orders when the world had exploded into blood and fire.

His body ached everywhere, and he lacked even the strength to raise his head to see where the wounds upon him where.

_Maybe my legs.. or arms.. my chest for sure.._ he chuckled weakly. _Not that it matters.._

He could hear them, the loud footfalls that the clumsy creatures made, they were coming closer.

"_To finish us.. no doubt.._" he chuckled weakly again as blood once more flooded his mouth.

Grimacing in pain, he struggled to move his limbs, praying to his goddess that at least on arm might work, so that he would be able to take at least one demon to the afterlife with him.

His left arm would not obey his commands, but he managed to find his knife amongst shooting pains with his right.

Grunting quietly, he fought to raise himself up, only for the pain to rise up and keep him pinned to the ground.

Laying there for a few moments, he prepared to gather himself and try once more when a broken voice caused him to cease moving entirely.

"_My son..._"

His heart froze for a moment, before lurching slowly into painful motion once more, and he fought to turn his head so that he might see his father's face before he passed.

"_Don't move, in Eywa's name... _my god.." his father fell to his knees beside him, his face seeming more aged and lined to his son's eyes. His hands fell onto his body, and he felt the deep aching pain as they pressed gently against his wounds.

"_Father.._" he tried to speak, spitting the blood out as best he could, "_Please.. tell mother.. tell my love.."_

Everything was becoming cold..

His father gave him a smile full of sorrow, "_I will tell them that my son fought for a cause he believed __in with all his heart._"

He smiled as best as he could at the man who had given him life, and who had been his guide in all things.

He fought to raise his arm, to clasp his hand with his fathers for the last time, even as his limb felt as though stones sought to drag it back down.

His father reached across, his bloody hand grasping his own.

"_I go now.. father.. to be with my namesake.. to be with Eywa.. please.. tell them.._"

He could dimly hear his father promise once more, as everything slowly grew cold, and his vision turned to gentle darkness.

* * *

**Date**: 05:20, September 27th, 2174

**Location**: Mine Site 02, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

_Kapitan_ Kozlov watched the holotable within his command center, alternating his glaring from the main holoimage to the small clock upon the table.

The formation of banshees that they had picked up had vanished, no doubt ducking into the trees, using their massive branches as cover while they approached. Which meant that all he and the others could do was dig in and wait for them to show up again. The entire air force had hared off to deal with the incoming attack from the north, and was swinging back around to support them, but it would still be a while before Theodas and his gunships were in range.

_Typical.. the enemy has taken the bait, and is attacking us here, but the air force that is supposed to smash them into the ground is three times as far away as it should be. _

Though he could not see it, all that was on the holoimage were small icons indicating readiness status, he knew that even as his soldiers were triple checking their weapons from the relative safety of their bunkers and foxholes, the miners were also doing the same from their own positions among their precious gear. Fire extinguishing equipment was everywhere, for as much as they hoped that they would kill all of the savages before they could hit the main excavator with their make-shift molotovs, nobody really believed that the massive machine would avoid damage.

"Where the fuck are they.." he muttered, glaring at the image once more.

"Probably wondering why the other force has not begun its attack." one of his subordinates muttered with a shrug of his shoulders. "Last report had the Austrians handing them their asses."

He snorted, "At least they're good for _something_."

The other men and women in the command center chuckled at that, enjoying the slight dig at their rivals.

The same subordinate spoke once more, "That does bring up the question though, will they attack anyway?"

Kozlov snorted, "Of course. It's practically a reflex action for them. See something human, attack it." his slight smile turned slowly into a frown as he sighed, taking in the tired and stressed faces around him. His people had helped hack the base of the jungle, and had spent blood and lives to do so. They had been penned in, unable to help as their comrades where assaulted and overwhelmed at Mine Site 01 during the great battle. They had led the counterattack that had worked beyond anyone's wildest dreams. They had held the line, alone, and then with brethren once more, for four years. They were elite, but they were also exhausted. They had been on this world, so far from home, for years, with too little relief, too little time for relaxation, and with simply too much work that simply _had_ to be done.

"Perhaps this will be the day when these blue-skinned savages realize that they cannot defeat us in battle, and we will be able to solely defend against the beasts of this world. Perhaps it will be enough that we will be able to see the _Rodina_ again. We cannot worry about that now. All we can do is kill these stupid creatures, that are so desperate to die for their pagan goddess." he spoke quietly, as he continued to watch the three dimensional image.

Around him, he heard the quiet sighs and visualized the slow nods that no doubt accompanied them. His people were tired, yes, but they had not yet been defeated or broken. The weariness would be pushed aside until their job was finished.

And so the waiting continued, the never-ending tedium that all soldiers were forced to endure between the moments of raw chaos and terror.

"_Kapitan_, I have low heat signatures moving slowly, just over a kilometer away."

Kozlov's already dour face pulled into a frown, "More than banshees, native animals?"

The sensor operator sent the data to the main holotable and manipulated it, "Perhaps, but not many."

"Not many, or not many in comparison to last time?" he snapped.

That brought a frown to the younger man's face, and the area on the map magnified, showing the scattered bands of red heat moving slowly towards the mining site.

"Not many." Kozlov confirmed softly, "A few viperwolf packs, maybe a couple heavier beasts. No more than a hundred or so." Nothing like the thousands they had faced before. Which made sense, he supposed, the creatures could only breed so fast.

Even as he watched the bands paused, only a hundred meters or so into the treeline, before suddenly surging forwards.

Seizing his rifle, he nodded to the staff, "Sound the alert, maintain command and control." Turning, he ducked out of the doorway and ran through the darkened tunnels, blue lights illuminating his passage to the nearest bunker. Even as he reached the small room with its narrow vision slit to the outside world, the deep _boom_-_boom-boom_ fire of the 40mm cannon on the roof began to sound, interspersed with the much sharper _cracks_ of some of their precious rail-sniper rifles.

His eyes took in the view swiftly, and he grunted quietly. The aliens and their pet cretins were having a hard time, as usual, making it beyond the auto-turrets and rusting wire. Harassing fire from the snipers and heavy guns were forcing them to keep back, and though a few of the viperwolves had made it through, they had then been swiftly shot to pieces by the miners protecting their precious gear.

_Now, where the hell are the blue-skins?_

As though summoned by his errant thought, two groups of banshees winged in from the treeline, aiming for the two auto-turrets doing the most damage to their animal friends.

The guns, acting according to the target priority scripts loaded in their primitive computer brains, promptly shifted focus, tracer fire tracking the frantically winging beasts.

Even from this distance, he could tell that as quick as the machines were to switch their fire, it was not going to be enough. The banshees had built up a good wing of speed coming in from the trees, and crossed the open kill-zone quickly.

One turret hacked three of four out of the air, the other managed two. Then both erupted with fire as the incendiary pots thrown from the natives impacted their metal frames. Tiny explosions began to dot the area as their ammunition cooked off, while the liquid dark shapes of viperwolves swiftly streaked the opening in the defensive line. The banshees and their riders dove into the mining pit, causing him to lose sight of them. All he could do was hope that the miners could handle

Snarling as he saw the stream of enemies heading directly towards the lip that marked the edge of the massive mining pit, he raised his rifle to the vision slit and began to carefully squeeze of rounds, the rising chatter of gunfire echoing in the tunnels indicated that the remainder of his men had also opened up.

Even as the gunfire fought to hold the tide of carnivores back, the remainder of the blue-skins made their appearance.

"_Shift fire on the fliers!"_ he snapped into his throat mike, and following his own orders. The savages, with their make-shift napalm, were the real threats to the mining equipment.

Tracers began to intercept the flying creatures and their riders, their bodies tumbling loosely towards the ground. An explosive round from a forty millimeter lit up the sky, tearing savage and banshee alike apart.

He spat another curse as the survivors, maybe half of them, dove into the mine pit. A few desultory shots from his snipers killed the last of the viperwolves still struggling to make it, and then his people's weapons fell silent even as the flashes and roar from the miner's positions began to increase.

Popping his half expended clip from his rifle, he slapped a new one in even as he raced back into the tunnel, heading for the nearest egress gate, "_All forces advance to the edge of the mine and provide covering fire! Someone find out where the hell our air support is!_"

* * *

**Date**: 05:39, September 27th, 2174

**Location**: Approaching Mine Site 02, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

The _tawtute _were growing tense. Their speech seemed even more clipped and snappish then usual, and all of their attention was devoted the glowing... what were they called.. _screens_ in front of them.

Norm'spellman had grown silent as the machine had flown onwards, and she had been lift to confront her memories within her own mind.

The increasing tension had oddly helped in that. She studied their increasing focus as things slowly became more familiar to her. This was not like what had happened earlier, when they had prepard to go into battle against Tsu'tey and those who followed him. Strange as it was to her, they had seemed.. if not bored, at least disinterested. As though they felt that their machines and weapons so powerful that there was no need for emotion or true effort.

But now, with an area of their home under assault, with fellow _tawtute_ doing battle, they seemed more alive then they had before.

Before she could comment to the _toktor_ on this, one of the _tawtute_ warriors started speaking quickly, causing their warrior-leader to spin and stare at him as all other speaking ceased.

She glanced to Norm'spellman for a translation only to see him staring at the man as he continued to speak. Reaching out, she gently jostled him.

"_Oh, right.. Um... one moment._"

The other warriors had begun to react to what was being said, forming fists with their tiny hands and bumping them against each others, or simply grinning tight, fierce grins.

Her stomach fell slightly, and she could guess as to the news that would make _tawtute_ grin and quietly celebrate.

Norm'spellman confirmed it, speaking softly, "_Tsu'tey is dead, so are most of his warriors. They're trying to work out how many who followed Jake are still alive, and how many prisoners they have._"

Lowering her head, she murmured a quiet prayer for the slain.

Finishing, she spoke quietly, "_I cannot imagine that many would surrender to sky people._"

The _toktor_ grimaced and nodded, "_Maybe a dozen or so, mostly those too exhausted to be able to fight back or retreat._"

Around them, the other _tawtute_ were settling down, and the leader had begun to speak with a tone of command.

"_And now more will join them with Eywa.._" she murmured softly.

Under them, the machine began a slow bank, and she could see the massive machine that they used to scrape at the soil ahead.

It glowed slightly as numerous small fires dotted it's massive flanks, and she could see the flashes made by _tawtute_ weapons as they did battle within the massive wound upon _Eywa_.

The _toktor_ gulped audibly and settled himself next to her, one hand gripping tightly to the 'wheel-chair' she was seated in.

He murmured something in _inglisi_, and seemed to grow more tense even as she relaxed with the familiar tension of incoming battle rising around her.

Several smaller _kunsips_ whipped past, roaring towards the battle ahead.

The chatter between the _tawtute_, which had died off, suddenly began, the leader barking orders, and the others seeming to repeat them even as they performed whatever task they were doing.

Dull roars began to sound, flashes of light marking the tiny arrows passage through the air whipped overhead towards the battle. Their machine weapons, the 'missiles', shot past, white streaks of smoke pluming behind them as they hunted for the _ikran _that were their prey.

She nodded slowly, even as her spirit quaked within her. Her people were _dying _because of those weapons, but all she could feel was comfort as the sight of the battle ahead kept her gaze from wandering to the blue lights around her.

It was hard for her to tell how the battle proceeded from within the machine. It began to bank and turn, the small viewing space ahead focused towards the sky more often than the battle itself. The _tawtute_ seemed to be fully aware, still shouting at each other as they manipulated their machines.

Slowly, the sounds of battle began to decrease, and the machine began a slow turn, bringing the massive pit into view once more. Small fires were raging across the dirt and upon many of the machines. She could see _tawtute_ using some kind of device to pour water on them, trying to contain the fires.

Bodies littered the ground. Dark forms of _nantang_ the most common, but the far brighter _ikran_ were also splayed outwards in death. The occasional glimpse of blue showed where the _ikran'makto _had fallen.

The machine seemed to be settling in towards the ground, and Norm'spellman slowly seemed to relax besides her.

"_And battle is replaced by aftermath..._" he murmured quietly.

Pey'ral nodded slowly, this battle had ended, but she knew that there was still much hatred and arguing to come.

* * *

**Next up is Interlude II: Green and Iron**

As always, reviews are nice.**  
**


	19. Aftermath: Green and Iron

No matter how much time passes, Avatar won't be mine.

**Interlude II: Green and Iron**

**Date**: September 27th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

He was frantic.

"Be careful dammit!" Norm Spellman shouted at the medics struggling to get a wounded _Omaticaya_ warrior through the airlock and into the medical wing.

"We're trying!" the two snapped back simultaneously, even as they heaved on the gurney, dragging it and the massive male upon it, inside.

Following, he tossed his exo-pack onto the wall with an unconscious motion, his mind racing through what was going on.

_Spear wound to the left arm, additional wound on his thigh, neither life-threatening but both painful, possible breaks on the bones in both locations. _

They moved quickly through the nearly-deserted corridors. With less than half of the people living there as the designers had intended, Tartarus fit it's name on the best of days. With all but those people who's jobs required them to remain outside, the echoing corridors became oppressive in their stillness.

"How many ahead of him? Six?" he asked.

"Five, they just finished up on the gutted girl."

He nodded absentmindedly, working out how much anesthetic the Na'vi would need.

With only two doctors, three if you counted Max, capable of operating on the Na'vi, he and the medics were doing what they could to keep the wounded stable until they could be seen. All of them were suffering from severe exhaustion, most simply accepting the water bottles the humans quickly gave them, not even complaining about the plastic, simply drinking as rapidly as they could before settling back, grimacing at their pains.

"He makes a dozen total so far." one the medics murmured, his voice quiet, "How many more still outside you think?"

"Not many," he shook his head, "We already got the critical ones in ahead of him, maybe five or six that actually need our help."

"_Our help_." the other medic muttered, "I hope to hell the Ice Queen knows whats shes doing, having us heal these pricks."

"Above our pay-grade man, just have to trust her." Norm interjected, "Less talking more working."

Both men ahead of him shrugged, even as the motley group entered the hospital, once more frantically resuming their work.

* * *

She was in denial.

It was not something that could be believed.

No... No, Ean'atane simply _would not_ believe it.

The _tawtute_, those clever aliens, must have done something to her eyes after that old fool had struck her. To her ears as well.

Her people _could not_ have been defeated.

Not by their own kin.

It just was not possible.

Her heart had frozen, when she had heard one of the captured warriors, a young girl, sobbing as she related her story to Itan'rep and the other elders.

_No...no...no...no..._

Her mate's father _could not_ have led the force of traitors that sought to protect the _tawtute_!

Her mate _could not_ be dead!

_It. Was. Just. Not. Possible!_

She shook her head furiously, stalking away from the gathering crowd, shoving the flap to her tent aside angrily, collapsing onto the grass.

_No...no...not...possible... not with my mate leading them.. not with Eywa on their side... no..._

She remained there, shaking her head, refusing to accept what was happening around her, furious in her belief in her goddess, muttering denials until sleep finally claimed her.

* * *

He was tired.

Parker Selfridge stared at the blackened excavator, trying to not pay attention to the crews cleaning up the bodies all around him.

"Dammit." he sighed.

"Could have been worse sir." Buck shrugged, "It's repairable. We'll need to do some splicing on the control systems, but it could have been a lot worse."

"I know that," he shook his head, before gesturing for his foreman to follow him as he began the trek back to his waiting Samson, "I'm just so tired of having to clean up after the savages. Why can't the blue-skins just _get_ the freaking picture."

The larger man shrugged helplessly, "Can't answer ya boss."

He gave another sigh in response, "How long on repairs?"

"Maybe a week."

"Resources?"

"Most of what cable we have left, along with the last bit of usable steel from the scrapyard."

"Dammit."

Buck blinked as they clambered into the helo, "Can't we just mine more?"

"The materials aren't the problem, it's turning them into something usable that is." Parker sighed, rubbing at his forehead, willing his migraine away, "The stereolithography plant can only handle so much per day."

"Sirs?" the pilot's voice came into the cabin even as the engines roared to life. "Commander Thomes says that she wants a full debrief as soon as you get back."

He groaned quietly, letting his head fall back against the bulkhead, tiredness washing over his body.

_And it's not even noon yet. Dammit._

* * *

She was annoyed.

Maria Thomes very much wished that she wasn't, or that annoyance was something new to her. At least then it would be different.

Glaring at the much taller alien male, she did not so much as blink as she crossed her arms haughtily before her.

The alien snarled something at her, and she waited with hidden impatience as Katrina, the only one of the trio available, translated.

"He's demanding that some of his warriors watch over the wounded, and calling you something unflattering that doesn't translate well."

"What a shock." she muttered, "Tell him that we are more than capable of keeping the peace between his idiots and the idiots that they fought against."

The scientist/pilot translated that from intelligible English to native sing-song, listened to the response, and then reversed the process.

"He says you're a frigid bitch and he doesn't trust any the idiots you call warriors not to kill his by mistake."

The blonde woman narrowed her eyes further. "Tell him that my word is law here, and if he doesn't like it, I have some idiots with guns who can explain it to him."

Several tense moments passed after that translation, before the male spun on his heels and stalked away, tail thrashing, muttering to himself.

Her irritation lowered somewhat, surprise creeping in. "A blue-skin who understands when to back down. That's a new one."

* * *

She was numb.

Tun had tried, at least initially, to pay attention to what was going on around her. Jake'sully had slipped into a near comatose state, simply staring at the _tawtute -_shroud that covered his son, snarling at any alien that came near him.

Mu'ran and Pey'ral were somewhere nearby, along with some _tawtute toktor_, trying to get the wounded healed, trying to identify who was on what side, trying.. trying to do so much.

She did not have the energy to try anymore. Not even to help more of her people.

_What does it matter...all of my kin... all those who followed me... gone... gone where... I don't even know anymore.._

Tired eyes gazed numbly into the sky, watching a _kunsip_ lazily circle the unnatural place that the _tawtute_ had built.

_What am I going to tell the clan... there aren't enough hunters left anymore, not for us to remain alone..the fishers and gatherers will try, but it won't be enough..._

Her face fell, and she covered it in one hand as the weight pressed down against her.

_And how many tribes will cry for vengeance now... with their Olo'eyktan slain with the prides of their youth.. how many ikran'makto will fly to the other continents, spreading the tale..._

Thudding footfalls allowed her ears to follow a _vrrtep_ machine as it lumbered past, the machine no doubt heading to wherever the aliens let it rest when it was not needed to sow death and destruction.

_Whats more... what of the Goddess herself.. what will Eywa do now, with her champion slain, his army driven to the ground..will _all_ tsa'hik, not merely those nearby, begin to suffer nightmares... or will she realize that... finally.. that the aliens are here to stay?_

Part of her wondered.. the rest of her.. just sat their numbly, staring at whatever happened to cross her vision.

* * *

**Next up Act III: Winter's Light, Chapter 17: Hurricane's Passing**

Next chapter will be up within a week (normal length), promise, and will have actual Author's Notes along with review responses.


	20. Epilogue I: Hurricane

It has been confirmed ya'll, I don't own Avatar.

* * *

**Epilogue I: Hurricane's Passing**

**Date**: 06:30 September 28th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Maria Thomes groaned, flailing around blindly with an arm to shut off the blaring of her morning alarm. Glaring at the cheerfully glowing numbers, she slowly heaved herself into a sitting position and glared some more.

Rising to her feet slowly, she shambled to the bathroom, muttering to herself as she showered and dressed, dreading the day that was ahead of her.

The previous day had been a nightmare, a very _long_ nightmare. Observing the battle from afar had been the easiest part of her day. Dealing with wounded "friendly" natives, dealing with wounded "unfriendly" natives, an irritated Selfridge, an irritated Theodas, and skeptical base personnel had left her exhausted. Every crisis had to be handled by herself, typically with either Katrina Thorton, whom she was growing fond of, or Max Patel with her to translate.

_At least Mu.. Mu.. Mu-whatever his name is is reasonable for a blue-skin. _It had gone a lot better than she had thought it was going to, anyways. The crisis that had crept up throughout the day, though irritating, had largely been minor. The native leader had largely kept his own people in order, as far away from the make-shift prison camp as he could.

Which suited her and all the other _homo sapiens_ just fine, the fewer native fights that they had to break up the better.

She sighed softly after finishing buttoning up her shirt.

_And by comparison, yesterday was easy compared to what today brings. Need to find out if this was enough to finally break their damn spirits, convince this goddess tree of theirs to stop attacking us. _Privately she doubted it, but it was a matter of appearance. The troops, especially Kozlov's Russians, were getting tired. More than simply exhausted in body, their spirits were failing them, as day after day of tension slowly crushed them downwards.

_I hope to hell that this means the blue-skins are finally wising up._ Making a final check that her hair was still regulation short, she palmed the access panel beside her door and joined the steady stream of people shuffling along, heading to whatever posts were theirs.

Nodding politely to those who offered her brief salutes, she carefully threaded her way through the light crowd, making her way up several stairwells to the Ops-Center.

Parker and his foreman were already there, both guzzling steaming coffee and frowning at the holo-table, which currently was displaying the wire-frame image of the main excavator. Blinking red sections seemed to indicate where it had suffered the most damage from the fire, and it was at those sections the two men were gesturing at as they spoke.

"I'm telling you we can splice this section, link it over to t he cables on the other side. It might run a bit slower but it'll save us sixty meters of cable!" Buck Keppler defended,the tone of his voice indicating it was not the first time he and Parker had had this debate.

"It'll save us the cable now, but how long is it going to take?" Parker challenged back, "And how will it handle over time?"

"Give me my best mechanics back from Theodas and we can rig it up to last long enough for the plant to catch up and manufacture the parts to replace it properly."

Her sometimes-lover sighed, rubbing a hand across his forehead. Before he could interject again, she interrupted them, moving up to the table, "Good morning gentlemen. Something I should know about?"

"Good morning Commander." Keppler spoke politely, while Parker nodded slightly as he sipped more of his drink.

"I take it you have a plan then, Mr. Keppler?"

"Yes ma'am, with your approval," he hesitated a moment before launching into an explanation. Much of it was technical information about the incredibly massive machine that went over her head, but the gist of it was that he and some of his mechanics had come up with a way to jury-rig it to save on parts. In theory, at least.

"And your opinion Mr Selfridge?"

Parker sighed, "In theory, it will work fine. We'll need to pry our best mechanics out of the AMP bay and out of that make-shift tank to pull it off though, which will delay any after-battle repairs that Theodas wants. There's also the issue of what happens if it malfunctions during operation."

She sighed, "Best and worst cases please."

The foreman took the first one, "Best case is the fail-safe that we'll put in at this junction," he gestures, "shuts the whole thing down, and we fix it normally, downtime will be a week or so."

"Worst case is that the entire left power supply tears itself apart, and we have to build a new one." his boss supplied the darker side, "And we have to install it. Figure a month, at least, plus the extra material usage."

"How are we on the quota?"

"Still ahead, but if we don't resume mining within two weeks, we'll fall behind." Parker supplied.

It was her turn to rub her forehead and sigh. "I'll talk to Brian and see if he can afford to lose the mechanics." she gave the foreman a slight glare, "I want whatever you rig up to be as _redundant_ and _safe_ as is humanely possible Mr. Keppler."

He nodded solemnly, "Yes Commander."

As he wandered towards the communications officer, no doubt to start working with the mechanics and engineers he currently had, she flicked the control panel on the holo-table to bring up the base itself.

"Looking forwards to a day with the natives?" Parker asked over his mug, brown eyes smirking at her.

She glared at him, "In a word? No. No I am not."

He settled his cup down, lip twitching to keep a smug grin from his face. "What's the plan for the rest of the senior staff then?"

"Theodas will be here keeping an eye on things, along with Prochnow. Werner and Kozlov are sitting put in case there's a group we missed. You'll be overseeing the repairs at the mining site, and then assuming joint command with Theodas starting tonight."

That earned her a blink, "Going somewhere?"

"I'll be on tonight's Valkyrie to the _Dream_, taking the wounded up then broadcasting a report back home." she explained, eyes watching the small icons representing the blue-skins slowly wandering around the small area they had claimed, "I'll be back tomorrow afternoon with the walking wounded and anyone else whose fit to return."

He nodded, "I'm going to head to the mining site then, oversee what I need to while I can." He moved off, eying her a bit more than was appropriate as he moved past.

Smirking slightly at that, she sighed and straightened, her mind slowly ordering her thoughts, preparing for the debates and arguments that she was sure her conversation with the natives were going to cause.

_Hopefully Sully and that Chieftess aren't comatose anymore, hard to negotiate with only one member of an alliance or whatever they are._

Gazing blankly at the three dimensional image before her, she continued marshaling her mind.

_First point, we're sick of fighting. What little patience we had for them is over._

_Second point, we will leave it to them to police themselves, but if they move against us in force we will retaliate._

_Third point, we would much rather leave them alone, given the option._

She grimaced.

_Fourth point... we owe this group for attacking the idiots that wanted to attack us._

She had a bad feeling that several of the natives, definitely including Sully, would be aware of the last point. While she could, and part of her wanted to, refuse to give them anything, it would sour their already dismal relations, and this could be the only chance they had for decades to get at least _some_ of the natives to stop attacking them. Maybe even act as a buffer-zone between Tartarus and any other clans that wanted to attack them.

Slowly spinning on her heel, the Commander of the human forces began to make her way towards the nearest airlock, deep in thought as she did so.

_And then there are the prisoners. I wonder if they would even understand the concept of parole. _She snorted, _Of course, that would assume that I would want to let them go free in the first place. First chance they had most of them would group up with whomever to attack us again, or harass us at least._

Absentmindedly, she grabbed an exopack off of a nearby rack before stepping into the airlock, letting the cycle being as she placed the clear mask over her face.

_Perhaps only keeping those of fighting age...that might be something, a gesture of some good will at least. I doubt the elders or the kids will be at all eager to join some crusade. Them spreading the story of what happened here might help as well... worth thinking about.._

Coming back to herself as the red light flashed twice, indicating it was time for her to step outside, she sighed and heaved hard on the handle, stepping into the dawn light.

Nodding to the two guards, she paused to blink at the sight of an AMP suit, the snarling wolf on it's front staring down at her.

"Sergeant McCarthy, what are you doing here?"

The female AMP pilot once assigned to watch over the wounded native princess brought her machine to attention and gave a sharp salute, "Colonel Theodas' complements ma'am, he doesn't think you should be without an escort."

"He does, does he?" She was equal parts annoyed and grateful. While it did save her the trouble of locating an escort on her own, it came close to overstepping his bounds. Resolving to both rebuke and thank him, she nodded at the machine. "Very well, come with me Sergeant, we have a long day ahead of us."

Lumbering battle-suit in tow, she made her way towards the waiting natives.

* * *

**Date**: 07:45 September 28th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Jake'sully, former North American Union marine, former Avatar, former _Toruk'makto_, current _Olo'eyktan _of the _Omaticaya_, watched as Maria Thomes made her way towards the small camp that he and his... followers he supposed, had set up.

They had claimed one of the few sections of the base where grass still covered the ground, and most of his people were still sleeping upon the ground, the exhaustion of the previous day more than enough to keep even the earliest risers slumbering.

A few of his people were up and about, mostly standing guard, watching the _tawtute_ work and hissing at any that got too close.

He frown slightly as the golden-haired woman and the AMP suit following her slowly drew closer, pausing every so often to speak with various people who crossed her path.

The _Olo'eyktan _sighed, _She's definitely dragging her feet. I suppose I can't blame her, I'm not looking forwards to this either._

A quick glance to his sides showed the other two clan leaders, both looking as worn-out as he felt. Mu'ran looked as though he had gotten no sleep, his normally erect posture slumping as he fought to keep himself awake and attentive.

Jake grimaced a bit at that. He had done nothing but mourn the previous day, staying with the body of his son, tuning out all else around him. At some point in the afternoon he had simply collapsed from exhaustion, waking only for the dawn.

Knowing his duty, he had asked one of his surviving warriors to stand watch over the slain, before finding out what he could about what had happened after the humans had transported them all to Tartarus. While he was dealing with his mixture of grief, self-loathing, and despair, Tun'txampay had also been.. indisposed. That had left Mu'ran to handle everything, and while the young man was intelligent, he had never had to deal with humans before.

By all accounts, it was a miracle that he was conscious at all.

His quick glance had shown that Tun was not fairing much better. According to his warriors, she had been nearly catatonic after arriving, simply sitting upon the grass and staring at whatever came into her view.

_Can only guess what's going on in her head.. with the loss of so many of her clan.. will they even be able to continue? Will they have to merge with another clan?_ He shook his head slightly, _Will anyone even accept them?_

He wished he knew the answers. From the expression on her face, she did not know them either, and it was eating away at her.

Covering another grimace, he turned back as Thomes and her clanking escort arrived.

_None of us are in any state to be doing negotiations, especially with this bitch._

"Good morning Sully, good to see you up and about and not moping around."

Jake twitched slightly. "Good morning Miss Thomes, glad to see that you're still an overbearing bitch."

The woman craned her neck up so that she could look him in the eyes and gave him a tight smile, "I can tell that this will be productive."

He glared down at her, "Perhaps you should have started it differently then. What do you want?"

"Never to see a blue-skin for the rest of my life," she gave a slightly theatrical sigh, "But I'm not that lucky. I'll settle for what you intend to do now."

"_She is so insolent._" Mu'ran muttered, "_I can tell it in her voice even if I can't understand her."_

"_Yes._" he supplied simply, "_She wants to know what we intend to do now?_"

"_Besides return to our clans?_" Mu'ran shrugged, "_I doubt any of the local clans will dare attack the sky people again."_

"_The local clans, perhaps._ _But what of the island clans, and those beyond this region?_" he replied, shaking his head.

"_Maybe. Maybe not._" Tun mumbled quietly.

Both men glanced at her, nearly identical grimaces covering their faces at her emotionless voice.

"Do I get an answer?" the human interrupted.

The paired grimaces turned to paired glares directed at a new target.

"Oh, I'm being intimidated then?" she cocked her head to one side, smirking as the AMP took a single step forwards.

Jake grimaced at the machine and its grinning wolf's head, "The local clans should leave you alone. Even the ones that still want to fight won't have the warriors or hunters to do so anymore. It'll take generations to recover."

"Yes, yes," irritation crept into her voice, "What about your goddess and her little pets? What about the clans that both you and we humiliated sending shouts for help?"

"We.. don't know." he admitted.

"Of course you don't." she muttered, then sighed. "And what do you want us to do with our prisoners?"

He blinked, "You're asking us?"

"For _suggestions_." she stressed, glaring. "I'm not about to turn them all loose, especially those of fighting age, but if you have any idea where we should haul the elders and children I'd be happy to get them out of here."

Tun interjected tonelessly, "_What does she want?_"

"_She wants to know where they should take the elders and children of the plains clan._"

"_What of their hunters_?" Mu'ran asked.

"_You can guess, brother._"

The younger male frowned, "_They won't be able to feed themselves easily, or well. They will have to be brought to a clan. Perhaps.. we could ask the Green River clan?"_

"_I'll send an ikran'makto._" Jake nodded, "We can send a runner to a clan nearby, see if they will accept them."

"Odds?"

He mulled it over, "Fifty-fifty. If they turn us down we can ask other clans on the plain."

She grunted, rubbing her neck with a hand, "Go ahead and send a rider. When are you and your friends leaving?"

"Soon as possible." he supplied. "I was hoping to send everyone we can back by tonight."

"And your wounded?"

"We'll be going with us."

A golden eyebrow arched at him, "And those that can't? I was led to believe that several are too wounded to be moved."

"A few volunteers will stay behind with them."

Something about the conversation seemed to be bothering the human commander, her body shifting from side to side in an unconscious manner as she mulled it over.

"One warrior." she supplied finally.

"For all of our wounded?" came his indignant response, "Five, at least."

"This is not a negotiation." her voice turned sharp and cold, "One. The huntress is staying, so far as I know, so technically you get two."

He glared at her for a moment before translating for the other two clan leaders.

"_One warrior? And Pey'ral? As injured as she still is, she should not count._" Mu'ran snapped, "_Tell this -"_

"_I will stay."_ Tun stated simply, cutting him off.

"_Tun.._" Jake said quietly, "_You're clan.._"

"_Is no longer mine._" she shook her head, "_The only way for them to survive in the seasons ahead is to merge with another clan, one where I will not be an Tsahik, much less an Olo'eyktan."_

"_Whose clan?" _Mu'ran asked softly.

"_Whomever will accept them._"

Jake spoke without thinking, "_I'll talk to Mo'at, I'm sure we can work something out._"

The warrior-_tsahik_ bowed her head slightly, "_My thanks brother._"

"_But why stay here? Why not go back to your clan to help them move? I can have one of my warriors stay._" the young clan leader protested.

The female clan leader bowed her head, "_I will return when I am ready to tell them what comes for us."_

"_They'll already know._" Jake spoke softly. "_Or they'll guess soon enough._"

Tun's head did not raise, "_True..perhaps..but that does not ease my pain."_

Jake stared at her for a moment longer, before quietly translating for the human woman.

* * *

**Date**: 10:16 September 28th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Pey'ral moved slowly, one hand pressed lightly against the side of outside wall of the _tawtute_ building.

"_That's it, slow and easy._" Norm'spellman spoke encouragingly, carefully moving along next to her, another _tawtute toktor_ followed behind them, pushing the rolling 'chair.

"_I know."_ she murmured softly, glaring at her legs, "_They are too weak to do anything _but _move slowly."_

The small _tawtute _male gave her a slight grin, "_Part of being injured I am afraid."_

She groaned and nodded, concentrating on moving one leg in front of the other.

Normally she would be wincing in distaste with each step upon the smooth, stone-like surface that the aliens loved to cover the ground with, but at the moment, she was too glad to be up and walking to complain aloud.

"_How long until I no longer need to sit in that thing again?_" she asked after a short time, pausing to simply enjoy standing upright again.

Norm'spellman sighed, "_For the fifth time, child, at least a week._"

The beads in her hair clacked against one another as her snapped around to glare furiously at him, "_What did you call me!?_"

He small face split into a grin, "_A child. One who asks the same question over and over in the vain hope of getting a different answer._"

_Have I really asked him that many times? _She did a quick mental count. Not liking the answer her memory provided, she settled for continuing to glare at him.

Still smiling cheekily at her, he resumed speaking, "_Evi._ Child._ Yep, suits you."_

She sputtered, "_Evi!? No one has called me that since my grandmother passed!"_

"_Not true, I just called you it not more than a few moments ago._" He resumed walking, "_And I think it suits you actually. I'll be sure to tell Jake that. And Max. and John. I'm sure the entire clan will be calling you it by-_" he yelped and jumped ahead as she swiped a hand at him, hissing softly.

"_You. Will. Not!"_ Bad enough that she was stuck here for seven more days. Bad enough that she still had to put up with vile-tasting tawtute medicines. Bad enough what she had gone through the previous several days.

There was simply no way that she was going to return to her clan, resuming her duties as the senior huntress, only to be called _that_.

Her only _tawtute_ friend moved quickly out of her reach, away form the building she was leaning on, offering her an even _larger_ grin as he did so.

"_Only an Evi gets so worked up over something as little as a nickname._" he teased.

She hissed slowly, her eyes narrowing, judging the distance between them, and how much strength she had in her legs.

He grin faded as he watched her think, but before he could do anything, she lunged.

Ignoring the pain in her leg and her belly, her right hand shot out and grabbed the front of his shirt, dragging him back with her as she wobbly resumed her upright stance next to the structure.

Plopping him onto his feet, but not letting go of the cloth, she craned her neck to glare down at him.

"_Um.. I was.. just joking?_" he spoke slowly, eyes very wide as he stared up at her.

She kept her glare in place, slightly baring her fangs. "_You had best been._"

The _toktor_ behind them giggled suddenly, and both of them turned to stare at the man, who grunted something quickly in _inglisi._

Norm'spellman's face flushed bright red and he replied hotly in the same tongue.

"_What did he say?_"

"_Nothing!"_ he shook his head, face even brighter.

She tapped the clear material of his face-covering and narrowed her eyes before repeating herself.

"Um.._he said we should stop _flirting."

The huntress blinked, "_What does that mean?_"

"Um.. _it's what humans do who like each other._"

Pey'ral blinked some more, "_We are friends, so what is wrong?_"

He shook his head, looking away, face still hot, "_Not like as in friends, like as in... wanttobemates._"

It took her ears a moment to translate the babble into actual words. When her mind finished, her spots lit up in embarrassment and she spun to glare at the other _toktor._ "_No! We were doing nothing of the sort!_"

The man's giggle turned into pealing howls of laughter, leaning on the building as he cackled.

"_Um.. Pey'ral?"_

Still thoroughly embarrassed, she glanced at the _toktor_ again, craning her neck downwards.

"_You're still holding onto my shirt._"

Her hand snapped open.

"Um.. _Let's go back inside?_"

She nodded quickly, she had made enough of a fool of herself for one day. Hopefully the other _tawtute_ had not noticed.

* * *

**Date**: 13:22 September 28th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

"Sooooo..." Norm raised his head from the table to glare at Katrina, he voice bubbling with girlish excitement as she settled down on the other side of the dining room table. "I heard that _somebody_ might have a _thing_ for our tall, blue friend."

"And _where_ would you have heard such a _ridiculous_ story?" he spoke through clenched teeth.

"Sergeant McCarthy." she beamed, speaking around mouthfuls of Ravioli as she began to eat, "She was about fifty feet away in her AMP, recorded the whole thing."

All the silverware on the table jumped and crashed down as he let his head slam into the cheap metal.

"Please tell me you're joking?" he whispered.

"Nope, she's selling them at ten bucks a copy." she continued on, seemingly enjoying his deepening horror, "I heard it from the other pilots. Bets are already being laid down."

He snapped upright, "_Bets!? _On what_!?_"

"Whether or not you figure out a way to sleep with her."

The skinny doctor could only gape at the blunt reply.

Some of the cheer drained from her voice, "Don't go to the Commander about this Norm. You can bitch about it to Max, but don't do anything official."

"Why the hell _not!?_" he snapped, his sanity on a shoestring.

His friend regarded him seriously for a moment, "Norm, have you been out, amongst the soldiers at all lately? Amongst the miners? Or the pilots?"

Blank eyes blinked at her, "No."

"Morale is slipping, Norm. I mean badly. This place was built to hold twice as many people as it does." her voice turned quiet as she explained, "We just fought _another_ set of battles, one-sided as they were, long after _Oberst_ Weigand sacrificed himself in what was supposed to be the _last_ big fight."

He started to see where she was going, and fought to restrain a wince.

"The Commander is trying to keep things up, but she's not personable like he was. The games help, so do the movie nights that Selfridge set up. But the longer this goes on…" she sighed, "They need _something_ to make them laugh, Norm. Even if it's something as stupid as betting about you and Pey'ral having sex."

She smiled at him, "Besides, if it was Max sitting there, instead of you, you _know_ you would be laughing your ass off and already have money in."

His head slowly settled onto the table again, as he sighed, "Fair point, I guess." he paused before asking quietly, "How many did we lose yesterday? I... didn't think to ask."

The response came just as quietly, "Three dead up north, nine injured. Mining site lost a half-dozen, mostly civilians killed while trying to fight the fires. Three times that wounded."

Letting the information soak in, he remained in place before quietly talking, "The Na'vi didn't get off easy either. Tun'txampay lost everyone who followed her. The Green River clan lost their _Olo'eyktran_ and half their warriors. Jake's only got four left, and the Great Lake clan is below half. God only knows how many of the kids died. Stupid... pointless deaths."

Her hand tugged sharply on his hair, dragging his head up as he yelped. He yelped again as a hand slapped across his face.

"Norm, stop it. I've dealt with your depression enough." she snapped. "Go back to Hell's Gate and bitch to Max about how unfair life is if you want to, but don't fucking do it with me."

"K-Katrina?" he managed to stammer, holding a hand to his face and blinking furiously.

She glared at him, "Norm, ever since we lost Bruce and Walsh to those _nantang_ you've let your depression control you. Sometimes you get over it, and then you let it run all over you again. And I'm telling you that I'm sick of it."

He tried to work out something to say, but something between his PHD equipped brain and his vocal cords seemed to have shorted out.

Meanwhile the rant continued, "And what's worse is that Max is starting to lose it. I'm not going to sit her and let _both_ of you cry on my shoulder. I've done my duty as a psychologist dammit and I'm _sick_ of it."

Tossing her plate aside, she smoothly stood and strode away, shoulders hunched in tight anger.

He could only watch her go, body numb, mind still struggling against the repeated mood whiplashes it had been forced to suffer through.

Slowly gathering himself, the lanky man made his way to the airlock, barely aware of donning an exopack and heading for the platform.

Nodding blankly to the pilot of the Tartarus-Hell's Gate shuttle Sampson, he clambered in, laboriously buckling himself in.

"Doc? Hey Doc!" the pilot shouted at him a mere moment later, and he stared at the frowning face.

"You all right doc? We been here for ten minutes now." the pilot asked, concern lacing his voice.

His head slowly spun around as he blinked furiously. Sure enough, they were settled onto the ground in front of the old Armory block, members of 'his' science time frowning at him from the ground.

"I... don't even remember the ride here." he admitted.

The pilot stared for a moment then shook his head, reaching to his throat, "Doctor Patel, Doctor Spellman is here., and I think he needs your help."

_Is that how she really feels? Have I really been that much of a burden on them both, for all these years?_ He didn't pay attention to his assistants carefully guiding his body out of the tiltorotor craft, all his focus inwards.

_I couldn't have been that bad! I helped hunt! And cook! And clean! And I worked for so long on my research!_ He struggled through his memories, _Wait... I did help hunt, right? I... I think I did. I know I did research… and I think I cooked._

Max's frowning face swam slowly into view, a light flashing in each of his eyes, and he could hear people talking far away.

_I didn't spend all of my time moping, being a burden on them, did I? I couldn't have.. but.. then why was she so angry? Why was she so pissed off? We've been friends for..._ comprehension slowly, too slowly, began to dawn upon him. _When was the last time I talked to her.. or Max did.. really just.. sat down and hung out? Or worked on the same thing.. or got drunk together..._

_Every-time I've been with around.. all I've done is be depressed..._

The realization sickened him, his stomach churning as his body was slowly led to the former link-room.

_No wonder she snapped when I got mopey about yesterday.. she probably knew people who died.. people who actually were around with her. All I wanted to do is bitch about people laughing at me and Pey'ral... and mourn the dead... she was trying to keep the atmosphere up.. .hell, she even _told_ me that people were getting stressed out._

Max and the part-time scientists carefully picked him up and settled him down into his bed, setting his blanked around his body and slowly shutting it.

He sobbed once as the darkness moved in, _I didn't even realize that she might be one of the ones on the edge... so... stupid._

Alone, in his mockery of a coffin, Norm Spellman mourned a lost friend.

* * *

**Date**: 19:22, September 28th, 2174

**Location**: _Omaticaya Kelutral, _Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Mo'at watched the slowly approaching _ikran_, her body sagging slightly at how few were returning. She could hear the quiet gasps and sobs as the other members of the clan who held vigil beside her took in the sight.

"_So few..."_, her daughter whispered, drawing close, lightly holding onto her arm as her eyes tracked the _ikran'makto_'s approach.

"_Since when have many returned from battle with them?_" her old ears could barely make out John muttering to himself.

She turned back and glared at him, his ears flattening in shame as he grimaced and looked away. Thankfully, her daughter had not seemed to have heard, her eyes too busy staring into the sky.

The _tsahik_ was dimly aware of the children being rounded up and led into the _kelutral_, even as more adults began to slowly gather around them, the majority of the clan awaiting the news of what had transpired.

_Five...only five warriors...how many of our finest died this day.._

"_Those aren't Tsu'tey… or any of his kin.._" one of the elders spoke just loudly enough to be heard, his brow furrowed, "_Those are the elder warriors, who followed orders only the Olo'eyktan knew of._"

Quiet conversation broke out at that, and she felt her daughter relax significantly. "_Tsu'tey and the others must still be out there then, though I wonder what brings these hunters home?_"

A sickening feeling began to slowly creep into her gut, as the brilliant colors of Jake'sully's mount became identifiable in the waning sunlight.

_Oh Eywa.. please... please let me be wrong..._

The slight flutter of unnaturally white cloth, held lightly in the clan-leader's arms, only further increased the turbulence within her.

Slowly, the excitement and relief that had arisen with the knowledge of the returning clan leader and elder hunters gave way, once again, to fear and dread, as they closed enough that all could make out the bundled shape that he held tightly to his chest.

By the time he and the other four slowly settled down upon the ground before them, total silence reigned as dozens of pairs of golden eyes stared upon their leader.

As though in great pain, he carefully dismounted his _ikran_, who let out a mournful wail before taking to the skies once more.

Shuffling like an ancient elder, it took many moments before he arrived before them, standing with his head bowed.

Her eyes could not leave the small, bright red stains upon the fabric.

"_He... he died for his beliefs."_ Jake spoke slowly, quietly.

Neytiri, hand shaking, reached out, and lightly touched the white bundle, where her son's head would be, tears streaming down her face.

She bit her lip and bowed her head, whispering a quiet prayer to Eywa, before she asked her question, "_And the others?_"

It took a moment for him to reply, and when he did it was exactly as she had guessed, "_Those who lived are held captive by the sky people. They have.._" his voice broke, "_They offer to bring the rest of the slain to the kelutral for proper burial._"

"_They OFFER?_" Neytiri snarled, "_When it is THEY who cause us to bury our young!?"_

Both the _Olo'eyktan _and the four warriors behind him winced, none meeting the eyes of those around them.

Mo'at watched as her daughter stared at her mate, confusion and incomprehension warring upon her face.

She opened her mouth before Neytiri could, asking the question she did not want the answer to, "_How many did the sky people kill, Jake'sully?_"

Jake winced as though she had just struck him.

"_Many..._" he whispered quietly.

"_But not all?_" she pressed gently.

His eyed remained bowed, understanding and shock slowly spreading through the assembled clan.

"_Not all._" he confirmed softly. "_The... the Eastern Sea clan... the Green River... the Great Lake... they followed me into battle."_

Her daughter's mouth moved, but no sound emerged. She tried again, and whispers slowly came forth, "_You... you fought against your own son? Your own people!? Your own goddess!?"_

Jake left his head bowed for a moment before raising it, his back straightening, "_I had to."_

"_You had to!?"_ his mate shrieked, causing Mo'at to wince, "_You had to kill your own son!?"_

The returning shout caused all assembled to wince, "_I DID NOT HARM HIM!"_

Whatever sorrow Jake'sully felt, the pain that had seemingly crippled him, seemed to vanish as he snarled in sudden rage.

She could only stand, stunned, as he ranted, "_You think I WANTED to fight them!? You think ANY of us wanted to!? It tore our hearts out! But do you know _why _we did it!? Because we CAN'T beat them Neytiri! You think we can still beat them? That we can drive them back? They're NEVER going to stop, and if we keep attacking them, they're going to get sick and tired of us and they're just going to KILL everything._"

Mo'at glanced at her daughter, eyes wide, to see and identical expression upon her face, as her daughter's mate continued to rant.

"_Hell Neytiri, you've SEEN what they can do; you've seen it inside me, whenever we bond. You KNOW they could kill us all with less effort than it takes a hunter to slay a tapirus. The only reason they haven't is because THEY, unlike MOST OF YOU, are trying to do something RIGHT for once. Even that ice bitch of a leader they have has done more than MY OWN PEOPLE to stop this insanity."_

The raging fury seemed to slowly seep out of him, his body slumping, as he clutched his son's body to his chest, "_I... I had to pick a side. I had to fight. No matter... no matter what I did, the clan was going to suffer... I chose the path that kept as many people I loved alive as I could."_

She stood with the rest of the clan, mouth agape, staring at the young man who had led her clan since that previous day of pain, so long ago.

"_I'm not an absolute ruler, I can't make any of you do anything... but I am done. I'm finished."_ Jake said, after letting sometime of silence pass. "_I will fight no more, forever." _his head bowed once more, "_Now... now I will mourn my son. And remember him."_

He slowly made his way into the crowd, warriors following him, as the people parted. After a long moment of hesitation, she slowly turned and followed him. A moment later she heard her daughter's footsteps as she did the same. Then more, as the entire clan slowly made their way into their _keltural_, to bury a young man slain before his time.

* * *

**Next up is Epilogue II: Passing of the Fallen**


	21. Epilogue II: Passing of the Fallen

If I owned Avatar, I would have retired by now.

* * *

**Epilogue II: Passing of the Fallen**

**Date**: 20:12 September 28th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Parker Selfridge sighed, running a hand through his hair as he waited for the funeral to start. A dozen biers with as many lightly fluttering flags sat upon the concrete, awaiting the fires that would consume them.

Not far away, the native woman in her wheelchair, and the new arrival, talked softly in their ridiculous language, with Max Patel chiming in once and a while.

He did, however, notice that Norm Spellman was missing.

Clucking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, he lightly shook his head at that. Current rumor had it that he had had a nervous breakdown earlier in the day, though that rumor was competing with the _other_ rumor that he and the wounded blue-skin were hot for each other and that he was avoiding the crowds out of shame.

He shrugged lightly. _Either way, it's not my problem. Patel or Maria will handle it._

A slow, classical song began to play over the speakers, one he was not familiar with. It sounded Italian, probably renaissance era, and was as depressing to the ears as most of the music played at funerals was.

Holding his hands behind his back, he watched as the torch-bearers carefully moved forwards, lighting the kindling and stepping quickly away as the treated wood swiftly roared into flame.

The crowd watched the fire for a few minutes, soldiers standing at attention, while the miners and civilians copied him, holding their hands clasped behind their backs. Eventually Maria took strode a few steps forwards, offered a final salute to the fallen, spun on her heel, and spoke, "Dismissed."

Sighing again, he relaxed and watched as Maria made her way over to him.

"Well, that's that. I'm heading for the _Dream_. Try not to start a war, eh?"

He gave her a wan smile, "No promises."

She gave him a quick grin, that at any other time he would have taken for an invitation, before striding away towards the waiting shuttle.

Admiring the view of her retreating figure for a moment, he turned towards the Ops-center and started walking, glaring at the smirking members of his mining team as he did so. The men simply laughed, a bit of forced levity amidst the grim event, and bowed their heads before heading towards the residential area.

_There are a few drawbacks to sleeping with her, _he gave a mental sigh, before smiling, _Worth the teasing from my guys though. Definitely worth it._

Reaching the structure, he passed through the airlock and frowned lightly at the sight of Colonel Theodas leaning against the interior wall.

"Good evening Administrator." the salt and pepper haired man greeted him.

"Good evening Colonel," he replied with equal formality.

"Do you mind if I walk with you?"

"Of course not."

The Colonel wasted no time, speaking as they walked, "Did the Commander leave you with any instructions over what to do about the prisoners?"

He shook his head, frowning, "Sully should contact us at some point within the next couple of days, let us know where to take the old folks and the kids. Load 'em up, drop 'em off, teens and the others of military age get to stick around in their pen."

"Good." the man seemed slightly relieved at that, "The sooner we get them out of here the happier I'll be."

Parker kept frowning, "Why? The ones we're keeping are the ones we need to worry about."

"Because it'll let me shrink the perimeter and free up some more men for our outer lines." Theodas explained patiently, "Just because we stopped those idiots cold doesn't mean that the wild animal attacks will stop, and with half my mechanics busy at the mining site I need all the men I can get."

He thought that over, and then grimaced as he nodded, "Didn't even think of that." he admitted, "And at this point that stupid tree getting the message seems like long odds."

The Colonel grunted, "Agreed. Wish she would let us torch it."

Another grimace creased his face, "Bring it up again at the next staff meeting."

"I probably will, but for now, I want to talk to you about the native situation, see what we can come up with before she gets back." he spoke even as they entered the main Ops-Center, and the two men strolled quickly to the main holo-table, the officer who had been using it politely excusing herself.

Parker reached out and manipulated the main table, giving a mass-overview of the main continent they were located on, bright points of red light indicating native home-trees.

"Well, if the numbers are right, every nearby clan should be decimated at this point." he pointed as he rattled off what he had spent some time thinking about, "On top of that, now we've got Sully's, the clan on the northern river, the one on the lake just to the west of that, and the one on the eastern seaboard all, if not on our side, at least guaranteed to not fight us."

"Hell of a buffer," the Colonel scrolled the map south, "What about these ones to the south though?"

"Patel says the markings of a lot of the dead match those clans, we can assume they're out of the picture. That leaves clans from beyond the Hallelujah mountains way to the west, the ones much further out onto the plains, and any from the other continents."

"And the southern islands, the one between us up here and the southern continent" Theodas pointed them out with a wave, "Satellites confirmed at a dozen clans there. And those clans would all be relatively fresh. They'll still be hurting from fighting here, but they'll have their youths grown up a bit more and rearing to go. And that's not including however many other tribes they manage to drag up from further south."

"That's a long damn trip though, and without their little forest friends, they won't be much of a threat." he shook his head, gesturing at the distance between the red dots and the small gray locations that represented Tartarus and Hell's Gate. "That's weeks of travel, and it's not like they can bring enough food with them."

The Colonel nodded, a slight concession, before replying, "But there's more than enough of them down there to give us a serious problem if they find a way to get their shit together. Or if their goddess moves enough prey animals into their path. We would need first strike permission to break them up before they could get close, or else it would be the first battle all over again."

"Permission for _what_?" a new voice caused both of them to turn.

Patel and both native women, the uninjured one glaring at the ceiling as he awkwardly crouch-walked, had entered the human nerve-center and were making their way over. It had been the doctor, a mildly panicked expression on his face, who had spoken.

He sighed and rolled his eyes, "We're working out what the hell our plans should be now, including what to do if the clans that didn't join those idiots decide it's a good time to try and come after us."

"Oh," Patel paused for a moment, translating that for the aliens. The seated native replied after a moment, and he passed it on, "Pey'ral says fifty-fifty odds of them attacking or just staying put. They'll be pissed, but confused once word that Jake fought on your…dammit, _our_ side."

She jabbered some more, "She also suggests against attacking them until you're sure they're going to attack."

That earned the trio another roll of his eyes, "Contrary to her belief, we aren't going to attack them just for the hell of it. We wouldn't go after them unless they started moving north in force. Besides, we've got more important things to be doing."

"Speaking of, how long are you going to be using my mechanics?"

Parker's head snapped to his left, glaring at the older man, "_Your_ mechanics? They are _my_ mechanics, and they'll be occupied for as long as it takes."

"They _were_ your mechanics," came the hot reply, "They became _my_ mechanics because keeping my equipment repaired is a higher priority right now."

"They are _civilians_ and as the _Administrator_ all _civilians_ are under my authority." he shot back, "They are _always_ my mechanics and you can have them back when they _finish_ and not a moment _before_."

Patel snorted and shook his head as the argument got into full swing, and the other humans within the Ops-Center carefully covered up their smiles while the natives looked on, confused at the strange behavior of the beings around them.

* * *

**Date**: 20:30 September 28th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

"_What are the going on about now?_" Tun'txampay muttered to herself, frowning at two of the _tawtute_ leaders practically shouting at one another.

Beside her, Pey'ral shook her head, "_I have no idea sister."_

The former _Tsahik_ sighed and shook her head slowly. She did have to admit that being amongst the aliens had slowly pushed her grief and despair from her mind, though she was sure that it was only because their never-ending insanity had made her so confused, annoyed, and exasperated that nothing but exhaustion remained.

"_They're arguing over who is in command of.."_ Max'patel seemed to struggle for a moment, before settling with, "_The sky people who heal their machines."_

"_Should that not be obvious?" _Tun muttered, _How did these creatures ever defeat us?_

"_It is, the shorter one is their leader, he commands all those who are not warriors._" the _toktor_ supplied.

"_Then why argue?"_

"_For fun, many of the sky people here are tired. Tired of fighting. Tired of work. Tired of not being on their home world._" he smiled lightly, "_They are trying to make people smile, if just for a bit."_

She frowned at him for a moment, remembering the tired and worn faces of her warriors before the battle. Of the elders exaggerating their age to draw laughter, the children acting as innocent as only they could, all seeking to draw the minds of the warriors away from what was coming.

"_That is the only intelligent thing I have heard of a sky person doing." _she supplied quietly.

He gave another light smile, "_Once in a great while, we do do things right." _he nodded, "_Come on, we need to see Pey'ral back to the medical wing before she falls asleep on us, then we need to find somewhere for you to stay._"

The other woman groaned loudly, "_Can I not stay elsewhere?_"

"_No."_

Tun patted her shoulder sympathetically. During her 'tour' of the cramped halls of stone and metal, she had seen where the _toktors_ made her fellow huntress stay while she healed. She supposed it was decent enough, for a _tawtute_ location, but it was still a _tawtute_ location.

Turning to follow the two, she gave one last glance to the light that somehow made shapes, she shook her head at the still-arguing pair before leaving.

"_Where will I stay?_" she asked as they moved along identical-seeming corridors.

"_Um.. I have no idea really."_ Max'patel admitted after a moment, "_I doubt you want to stay in the medical wing, since she doesn't. Neytiri loathed the room she was kept in. Maybe travel with me to our older home? There is far more green there._"

She nodded, "_I will find my ikran and meet you there._"

"_Um.._"

Tun sighed, "_You will not let me fly on my own?_"

"_I don't mind, and I am sure our leaders would grant you permission, but there is always the chance something might happen, and I would really rather not have to try and break up a fight between you and some moron who shot your ikran._" he explained. "_The kunsips are more than large enough to fit you, and we can stop by your ikran, maybe you can tell him to wait somewhere until the morning?_"

Another sigh, _Perhaps this was a mistake after all, as Mu'ran thought, _"_Fine."_

"_I notice you never offered for me to stay at that home._" Pey'ral muttered, just loudly enough to be heard.

The _toktor_ heaved a long-suffering sigh, "_We would have to fly you in a kunsip there, and there would be even less for you to do._"

The _Omaticaya _woman frowned, "_Even less to do? But would not both you and Norm'spellman be there more often?_"

A long pause followed that question, "_I would be. Norm..." _a heaved sigh, "_Norm's been spending most of his time here, but now.._"

"_Is something wrong?"_ Pey'ral asked, voice unusually sharp. Tun simply watched, back aching from her posture.

"_He's...something is wrong with him. I don't know what though._"

"_He was fine this morning!_" she protested. "_Did a sky person do something to him?_"

"_I have no idea actually. He didn't say a thing when he got back, just.. stared into space at nothing. We got him to bed and gave him some medicine to sleep, we're hoping he'll wake up tomorrow and be fine."_

Pey'ral seemed to think that through as they arrived into the blisteringly white room with its various machines.

Tun moved forwards, helping her unsteady sister onto the strangely soft bedding.

"_You weren't going to tell me."_ she muttered, eyes focused on the _toktor_. "_I wondered why he left, and why you came. But you said nothing of it._"

"_I didn't want to upset you, or do something stupid._" he held up his small hands in a placating fashion, "_If he isn't all right in the morning you'll be among the first to know, I promise."_

He was answered by a soft hiss, "_You had better._"

Tun shook her head lightly, bidding Pey'ral good night before following Max'patel on the winding path that would take them outside. At least, she thought it was.

"_She seemed unusually worried for him._" she eventually gave voice to her thoughts, using them as shields to hold the pain at bay.

"_They're good friends."_ the _tawtute_ said simply, affixing one of the strange devices that allowed him to breath the normal air over his head, "_I should have told her, but she's too much like Jake. Might have done something to hurt herself trying to get there to find out what's wrong._"

He twisted things, tapped others as she squeezed into the small space. She watched him without understanding before something chimed, and fresh, normal air began to fill her lungs.

_Better. Their air tastes strange._

Keeping on topic, she continued to speak, "_And what is truly wrong?_"

He did not answer, opening the metal 'door' with a _clang_, stepping outside. Following, she let her back straighten, trying not to moan out loud with the pleasure caused by the simple absence of pain.

"_I don't know."_ he said, not watching as she stretched, "_The warrior who brought him did not know either. The last time he was like this.."_

She tilted her head and frowned at the small being beside her.

"..._was when he, Katrina, and I saw two of our friends eaten alive by nantang."_

Drawing back in surprise, she had to lengthen her stride for a few paces after he began to head towards a _kunsip_ without her.

"_You fear that those memories are once more upon his mind?_" she asked.

"_Maybe.. maybe not, dammit. I need to talk to Katrina, she might know something._"

"_Why do you not?_"

"_She is in her living area. The way in is sealed and she will not answer our speaking machines._" he explained, frustration covering his voice.

She slowed, frowning at the _kunsip_ as they grew nearer, the warrior beside it doing unnatural _tawtute_ things to prepare his machine for flight.

"_Is that normal?_"

"_Not normally, but lately.._" he ran a hand through his hair, "_Dammit. I wish I knew what was going on. Come on aboard, where is your ikran?_"

First general _tawtute_ insanity, then being drawn into attempting to discover the ailment suffered by a _tawtute toktor_, and now about to fly on a _kunsip_ to a place only _partially_ unnatural so that she could sleep.

_Yes. Mu'ran was right. _She grimaced as her hand touched the cold skin of the un-living beast, _This was a poor idea._

* * *

**Date**: 01:59 September 29th, 2174

**Location**: Hell's Gate, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Max Patel, Doctor, stared at the 'ceiling' of his link bed, desperately wishing for sleep.

"First Norm.. then Tun.. now Insomnia.. aren't I lucky." he whispered, shaking his head and shoving the bed open.

Heaving himself into a sitting position, he spun in place, dangling his legs over the side and staring at his feet.

_Norm is suffering from some kind of break down. It was all Tun could do to not suffer the same. And both of them are now my responsibility._

Sighing and running a hand through hair that was becoming more white than black, he hopped lightly to his feet and quietly made his way out of the room. Pacing through the dimly lit hallway, he barely paid any attention to where he was going, letting his legs pick their own course as his mind worked.

_All right Max.. think this through logically. Pey'ral said Norm was acting normally. After that, he goes inside, drops her off in the medical wing. Few hours later, he's got a ride back here, and is mentally gone. Something happened then._

He ticked that off on one hand, and kept going, speaking quietly out loud, "Something happened. Katrina's been growing further away from us, and I might not have talked to her in a while, but I doubt it's become normal for her to refuse all the calls to her room. She and Norm talked, and whatever it was about was enough to drive him to have a nervous break-down and for her to lock herself away."

For a single panicked moment he worried about her harming herself before snapping out of it. "No, if she was going to commit suicide she would have done it years ago. But what was it about?"

His body reached the hastily repaired Ops-Center, and settled down without effort into a barely standing chair. His eyes not truly taking in the hastily welded sheets patching the windows.

_That conversation is the key to that little mystery, but until I can talk to Katrina about it, nothing I can do. _Making a mental note to hunt her down first thing in the morning, depending on how Norm acted, he moved on.

"Tun'txampay. Former _Tsahik, _now former _Olo'eyktan_, former Eastern Sea Clan, now probably a member of the _Omaticaya_." the titles came slowly, as he tried to work out the next personal problem on his list.

It had been painfully obvious to him that the proud warrior was barely keeping it together. The loss of so many warriors had to be bad enough, but to stack the knowledge that her clan itself was going to be gone..

That drew a sigh from him, once more voicing his thoughts out loud, "She can't be doing well either. Even with joining the _Omaticaya_, there's still a ton of issues there. That's a lot of mouths to feed, and a lot of the elders are going to have to try hunting again. She'll be respected, but will be subordinate to Jake and Neytiri, which will hurt her pride."

Folding his hands under his chin, he stared out an intact window and continued, "And she did not even want to have to be the one to break the news to her clan, and they might not take that well at all."

"_Do all sky people talk to themselves so late into the night?"_

Jumping to his feet, staggering as his left foot tripped over an exposed cable, he promptly tumbled to the ground.

Groaning in pain, he rolled onto his back and glanced up. Tun was in the entrance to the room, one of the few indoor spaces where she could stand upright, and frowning at him.

"_Are you all right?_"

"_Yes."_ he groaned again, slowly sitting up, "_You startled me._"

"_Then you should have been paying more attention to what is around you._" she replied simply, shrugging.

He nodded and slowly got to his feet, limped back to the chair, then settled down again. "_What are you doing up?_"

A long pause before she bowed her head, "_Eywa may no longer send me visions, but it seems that nightmares still come._"

He gave her a long pause of his own, "_Of... the battle?_"

She shook her head slowly, beads in her hair clicking.

A guess then, "_Of returning to your clan?_"

A grimace as she looked away, "_They are no longer my clan._"

They remained in silence for a while, he sitting, her standing, as he slowly moved through his thoughts, working out exactly what he wanted to say.

"_Just because they aren't your clan in name doesn't mean that they are any less your clan in spirit._"

Golden eyes blinked at him.

"_Joining the Omaticaya isn't the end, so don't think of it like that. Think of it as change. Change doesn't mean the end, it means a new beginning. Both clans have been hurt.. been hurt badly by what has happened,"_ he kept speaking slowly, letting the words come out, "_But you shouldn't just give up because of that. You might not be Olo'eyktan anymore, but that shouldn't stop you from being a leader. Their leader."_

Her features slowly turned into a frown.

"_Jake has been hurt too, Tun'txampay. His son is dead.. who knows what Neytiri is suffering through, and Mo'at can't be at her best either. They're going to need someone to help lead, help with the hunting, the gathering, the organizing, all of it. I.. I'll admit to not knowing why you came here. Any warrior could have stayed, and you know as well as I that the wounded are safe, we have no cause to harm them. But only you can help your people right now."_

The alien woman slowly let her head hang low, "_And I fled.._" her voice was a tortured whisper. "_My.. clan..."_

Slowly, he stood up and walked over to her, poking her stomach lightly, "_You can fly back in the morning. And you might want to consider touching up your paint before you lead them to your new home."_

She blinked and looked down at her front, seemingly noticing for the first time that the red paint covering her body was smeared with dirt and grime, or simply smudged out completely.

There was a long pause before she let out a short bark of laughter before containing it. "_Y-yes. I do not look much like an Olo'eyktan right now, do I?_"

He grinned up at her, "_Probably something to work on._"

She gave him a wan smile before placing a hand upon his chest, "_Thank you, Max'patel, for telling me to stop running. And reminding me who my duty is to."_

"_And to fix your paint."_

"_That too."_

_Well done Dr. Patel. One patient cured, at least for now. One more to go._

* * *

**Date**: 05:49 September 29th, 2174

**Location**: Hell's Gate, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

If felt as though Tun'txampay had no sooner curled up to sleep than something touched her right shoulder.

Batting whomever it was aside, she fought to return to the sweet abyss of sleep.

"_Tun! Tun! You've got to wake up!"_ Max'patel's voice reached her ears as the small hand insistently pushed on her shoulder.

Groaning, she opened an eye and glared at him for a moment, before the glare melted into confusion.

She was no expert on _tawtute_, but he looked both distressed and exhausted.

"_What is it?_" she croaked out.

"_Somethings happened, we need to get you back to Tartarus."_ he explained.

That earned another groan, "_Why?"_

He paused for a moment, seemingly searching for the right words, "_Some idiot hit an alarm over at _Tartarus, _and that woke Pey'ral up, and she freaked out for some reason. Katrina tried but she couldn't calm her down, and they had to sedate her. They want you over there to keep her from hurting herself or any of them, and I need to attend a meeting."_

Some of what he said managed to get through her exhaustion to her mind, and she slowly stood up, resting a hand on the cool metal wall for support.

The _toktor_ seemed content that she was at least partially awake and moving, and did not demand that she move any faster or look impatient at all. Indeed, he said almost nothing during the entire trip to the _kunsip_, his face drawn in a frown.

Thankfully, the local alien warriors already had a _kunsip_ roaring and alive, and the pair quickly climbed on, Tun wincing as she sat upon the bare metal.

Watching the ground fall away beneath them suddenly reminded her of something important, "_What of my ikran?_"

"_We'll bring you back as soon as we can."_

The rest of the short flight passed in silence, she fighting to stay awake, he simply staring out into the glowing forest beneath them.

A golden haired _tawtute_ female was waiting for them, and she greeted them in rough but passable Na'vi.

"_I see you, Tun'txampay. Morning Max."_

"_Morning Katrina. Mind bringing Tun to her? Selfridge needs me for something."_

And with that he walked off, leaving the two women together. The _tawtute_ send nothing simply nodding and heading towards the squat building that the aliens lived within.

There were many more of the _tawtute_ awake here, and all seemed annoyed about it. She couldn't understand their tongue, but the snapping tones told her more than enough. Not far enough away for her liking, she could also see the 'camp' where the prisoners were being kept. All of them seemed awake as well, shuffling around and looking out with confused looks upon their faces.

"_Why is everyone awake?_" she felt compelled to ask.

"_Some moron in control thought one of the prisoners was trying to escape, when it was just that old man stretching his legs." _the shorter woman sounded disgusted, "_Everyone got woken up, the warriors scrambled to get their kunsips and weapons ready, and it was a good twenty minutes before we realized we weren't under attack."_

"_He couldn't tell the difference?_" That something so trivial had apparently caused such a problem would have been humorous to her, in any other time.

The _toktor_ waited until they had reached the building and squeezed into the chamber that would change the air before she replied, "_I'm sure he will be able to in the future, assuming our leaders even let him anywhere near an alarm system ever again."_

"_And this.. alarm meant that Pey'ral woke up?"_

There was a grimace and a nod.

"_She did not react well?"_

Another grim nod answered her.

"_How badly?"_

"_She broke one medic's arm, and put a lot of stress on her stomach. If the pain of that hadn't stopped her she would have done a lot more damage."_

"_Why?"_

The woman sighed, "_I have no idea. I haven't talked with her much, that was always Norm's job."_

Once the cold, sharp air had filled the tiny room, Katrina'thorton shoved it open and led her inside. The lights had all been darkened considerably from what she was used to within the _tawtute_ structures, and only a soft blue glow lit their way.

"_The alarm set the light to this mode, and nobody has bothered to change it back yet."_ the explanation came quickly enough, before she had even bothered to ask about it.

Her eyes adjusted easily enough, and it did not take long to reach the room Pey'ral was contained within.

She grimaced upon seeing her fellow huntress. 'Contained' was apparently an appropriate word.

_Oh sister, what did you do?_

Thin, orange bands bound her wrists to the metal along the sides of her bed, as well as binding her tail to the metal below her feet. A _tawtute _warrior, though sitting and relaxed, was nevertheless both present and armed, and he regarded the arriving women with slitted eyes.

As if that wasn't enough, she could see blood staining the white bandages around her waist, and even in sleep she was twitching and moaning lightly.

"_She should be waking up soon, they couldn't risk giving her too much of the medication."_

"_Did she say anything?"_

"_Nothing that I could understand."_

Tun nodded and remained where she was, frowning at the wounded, twitching figure. Beside her, the _toktor _settled down into a seat beside the warrior and quietly engaged him in conversation.

Time slowly passed. She settled down onto the cool floor, resting her aching body against the wall, resting as best she could. The _tawtute_ fell silent some while later, the _toktor_ seemingly asleep, while the warrior simply looked bored.

She was slowly drifting towards sleep herself when the lights suddenly flared from the lightly glowing blue to the more normal unnaturally bright white

Snarling and covering her eyes, one of the _tawtute_ snapped something and the lights dimmed to only a light glow.

Before she could grumble and complain, a quiet moan caused her to lever herself to her feet.

Pey'ral was blinking slowly, and shaking her head, her eyes wide with confusion.

"_Good morning._" she greeted, resting a hand on the woman's shoulder.

".._Tun..?_" the huntress's voice was a quiet croak, "_What... is happening?_"

She frowned, "_You are in the alien's home, healing. They say you attacked them, enraged. They used their medicine to make you sleep._"

"_I..._" a slow shake of her head, "_I don't..._"

The _totkor_ moved up on the other side, "_Pey'ral, it's all right, what was the last thing you remember?"_

A long pause, "_Returned here... Max'patel and Tun left... slept..." _a shudder.

"_Nightmares again?_"

Startled eyes opened, "_How do you..?_"

The small woman waved a hand at a machine, "_One of them can tell when you dream and how stressed you are. When you are both... it usually means that you are having nightmares. And you have had many of them from what we can tell._"

There was another long shudder, and a whimper, both of which were greatly alarming her. She did not know Pey'ral that well, only really talking with her a few times over many, many seasons, but to see a senior huntress so disturbed... especially one who had fought and seen so much.

"_Have you spoken with your tsahik about them?_" she asked.

Her fellow gave a short shake of her head.

"_You should,"_ was the blunt advice, "_It cannot be healthy for your spirit to not."_

"_Mo'at... has suffered enough, without me adding to her pain._"

The alien woman groaned and muttered something in _inglisi _that caused the warrior to chuckle.

Both Na'vi women glared lightly at her.

Rather than translating, the _toktor_ offered advice, "_Talk to Tun about it. I'll leave and bring the warrior with me if you want privacy._"

Pey'ral seemed to hesitate.

"_Pey'ral, you broke a healer's arm, nearly tore your old wound open, and guaranteed that you're stuck here for another few weeks. We need to find out why you acted like that."_ the woman explained patiently.

She still hesitated, biting her lower lip as she seemed to think it over slowly.

"_Tun, hold her please._"

"_What?_" she frowned at the _toktor_.

"_I've got a theory I want to try, hold her still just in case."_

"_What are you doing?_" Pey'ral demanded, hesitation fading as she frowned at them both.

Still frowning, Tun placed her other arm around Pey'ral. "_What are you doing?_" she echoed the other woman's statement.

Rather than answering, the alien spoke a pair of short words in _inglisi_, and the lights vanished for a moment, before soft blue ones snapped to life.

Pey'ral gave a long, keening moan, entire body shaking as she clenched her eyes shut. The warrior leaped to his feet in alarm, but did not draw his weapon, frowning even as he carefully held the trembling woman as still as she could.

Another short word and the blue became white again.

The wounded huntress remained still for a very long time, eyes still held tightly shut.

"_Get. Out."_ Tun snapped, tail thrashing behind her as she glared furiously at the _toktor_.

Green eyes gazed coolly into her own before she spoke in _inglisi_ once more, and both she and the warrior moved outside, the door shutting behind them.

"_That fucking bitch._" Tun swore softly, arms still around the still whimpering woman. She could have simply _asked_ if it was the lights that had set it off. It could have been sound, or simply the nightmare, or one of a dozen other things.

"_I-I am s-sorry."_

"_Quiet._" she murmured, resting her forehead against hers. "_It is all right. You are not the first person to suffer so, nor do I fear, that you will be the last."_

There was a slow, trembling nod from Pey'ral, whom very slowly began to get her own body under control.

Tun gave her the time, simply holding her, letting her forehead rest against hers. Trying to force situations like this had not worked in the past, as she knew from her own experience. She could still remember one of her cousins, after the battle for the Tree of Souls, who had suffered badly in its aftermath. Nightmares so intense that the entire clan had awoken from his screaming, and his inability to go anywhere near the former _tawtute_ lands.

She had tried... and failed, to help him. He had vanished on a hunt not long after, never to return.

Speaking with Mo'at after, the elder _tsahik_ had directed her to Jake'sully, who told her that such occurrences were not uncommon amongst _tawtute_ warriors, especially after vicious battles. He had told both of them what he knew of treating such things, admitting that it largely boiled down to time, patience, and being able to coax them into talking about it and facing what terrified them so.

And so she simply waited, letting Pey'ral calm and gather herself.

The wounded hunter began to speak, slowly at first, then faster as though trying to get it all out before she panicked once more.

"_The tunnels… my mate and I led our warriors into them... the lights... she went one way, and I the other... there was..." _she gulped, "_There was only the lights and the screams.. Na'vi...Nantang..Tawtute.. It all echoed... I... I could not tell where I was."_

Tun simply listened, pulling her head back and remaining attentive.

"_Then..the noise of their machines stopped.. and the lights went out. I.. I tried to find her.." _her voice broke, "_She.. she was... her body was burnt. It... I... I couldn't see it.. I fled into the tunnels... fought my way out... I.. I was the only one to come out."_

The former _tsahik_ rested a hand on Pey'ral's forhead, "_Did I ever tell you of my son?_"

Eyes blinking as tears streamed down her face, Pey'ral gazed up at her.

"_You remember the shah'tell, changed for war? He led the attack upon that unliving beast. He was the first inside. I watched from my ikran as it flew on, flames all across it. Then..._" she shook her head slowly, "_Then I saw its wing tear apart. Watched it dive. The ikran of those within following behind it, shrieking for their partners to return. All..." _she gulped and bowed her head slowly, "_I scoured the area.. ignoring the rest of the battle. All I could find was a piece of his bow, shattered and covered in blood."_

"_I.. did not know that.._"

"_Not many do."_ She slowly lowered her hand over the other woman's eyes, "_Sleep now sister, we will speak more later._"

* * *

**Next up is Epilogue III: Starlight, The final chapter of Semper Furor**


	22. Epilogue III: Starlight

I wish I owned Avatar. But I don't.

* * *

**Epilogue III: Starlight**

**Date:** 10:03 September 29th, 2174

**Location**: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

He had tried, and failed, to get any sleep in after his meeting with Selfridge. The liberal amounts of eretz coffee that he had managed to gulp down was all that was keeping his exhaustion at bay, and he had high hopes that the caffeine would keep him running at something close to normal. After the meeting, and his coffee, rather than returning to Hell's Gate, he had instead made his way up into the nerve center of Tartarus and simply observed what was happening around him.

At some point, he could not really remember when, he had talked with his staff back at Hell's Gate, who had promised to let him know the moment Norm actually woke up. He had also sent someone down to check on the two Na'vi in the hospital wing, and they had confirmed that both Tun'txampay and Pey'ral were, if not in high spirits, at least recovered.

His face had pulled into a light frown at the reply, _But Katrina was already gone. The nurses said she left shortly after Tun arrived, and the operations officer said she is out on patrol right now._

He had had some hope that he would be able to talk with is old friend about what was going on, see if she knew what was up with Norm. Now it did not seem like that was going to happen, and what was worse, she had not stuck around long to help Pey'ral out as he had expected. Well, he knew that she was not as pro-Na'vi as she had once been, to be sure, but still, it was worrisome and odd.

_Never-mind the fact that neither of them speak English. What if they need something, or some crisis happens?_

After fretting over those thoughts for nearly an hour, he had ended up going down to visit the two women.

Tun had been asleep on the floor, but Pey'ral had been awake enough. She had not said much about what had happened, but had seemed in good enough spirits. The guard had apparently decided she was calm enough to remove all her restrains as well, which said good things about her mental state.

Telling her where he was in case they needed anything, he had recommended the most basic rule of healing get more sleep, and then headed back to the Ops-Center.

_And here I still am._

Where it not for the caffeine, he knew that he would already be back at Hell's Gate and passed out within his link bed. As it was, it was still sorely tempting.

"Hey Doc, what are you doing here anyways?"

He blinked slowly, snapping out of his reverie as the communications officer approached him, one of her eyebrows raised.

"Just… thinking, I suppose."

A delicate snort was her initial reply, though she followed it up with actual words, "And you felt like the Operations Center was the best place to get some alone time?"

"Well…" he chuckled softly, running a hand through his hair, "Honestly I didn't think about it."

It was her turn to chuckle, and she shook her head slightly, "Keep your head outta the clouds doc, there's banshees up there. Anyways, your natives are on their way up, they were looking for you."

He sighed slightly, and murmured his thanks as she moved back to her station.

It was not that he minded their company, often they were better companions to have around then many members of his own species, but he did occasionally wish that there were more than three humans that could speak Na'vi.

Apparently one of them, most likely Pey'ral, had remembered how to get from the hospital to the Ops-Center, because it it did not take them long to arrive. The still healing huntress in her wheel chair having a much easier time than the upright Tun, who had apparently hit her head on something, judging by the way she rubbed at it and glowered upwards every so often.

He did smile at the site of Pey'ral wearing Grace's old clothes though. Though she claimed they were annoying, she had not let him take them away, and still put them on whenever she expected to be primarily around humans. Said humans gave them a wide berth, barely glancing at them. That set of actions gave him some slight hope that co-existence could work out. Once upon a time, even the mention of the local species would get everyone riled up and pissed off, with severe glaring and muttering to occur whenever one was spoken with.

_But now we're content to let them do whatever, so long as they don't mess with us._ _Not the best co-existence, but it's a hell of a lot better than shooting the crap out of each other because someone twitched._

"_I see you._" he greeted them as they approached his seat along the all, Pey'ral rolling into place next to him while Tun settled into seated position on his other side.

Both returned his greeting before letting their eyes take in the room around them.

"_Where is Norm'spellman?_" Pey'ral asked, barely a moment later.

"_Still sleeping._"

She glowered, "_Should he have not awakened by now?_"

"_Normally." _he admitted, trying to keep his face neutral and not show how worried he had become about his friend, "_I will contact you on our speaking machines and let you know how he is doing._"

"_No, I am going with._"

Tun sighed, "_Sister, riding in their machines is... unpleasant."_

"_I know, I have been aboard their massive kunsip,"_ the other Na'vi replied, "_I survived then, I will do so again._"

Max shook his head and sighed, "_If you come with it could be a while until you return here."_

Pey'ral snorted, "_And how is that an issue? I do nothing here save attempt to walk and sleep. I can do that anywhere."_

"_True enough," _he agreed, finding it easier to give in then continue the argument, leaning his head back against the wall, "_How long will you be staying Tun?"_

"_I wish to depart this day, once I have visited those who are wounded here." _the older woman replied, "_I will return early in the morning, and remain until they are fit to leave."_

His response was forestalled by the communications officer moving back towards him, a slip of paper held in an outstretched hand

"From Hell's Gate." she explained shortly, before resuming her work.

He nodded and glanced at it, and then grimaced.

"Dammit."

Blowing out a breath, he crumpled up the thin piece of paper and approached Tun and Pey'ral.

"_Ready to head to Hell's Gate then?_" he greeted, nodding his head to the exit.

"_I must visit the wounded first." _Tun replied simply, raising and making her own way to the room's exit, calling back as she did so, "_It will not take long. I shall meet you and the kunsips."_

He and Pey'ral nodded before moving to follow.

"_Tun said that you are here because your leader wished to speak to you, a strange time for that to occur._" Pey'ral noted as they had left the Ops-Center.

He shrugged as they moved through the hallways, "_He needed someone to go out there and talk to the elder, ask him politely to remain within his tent at night."_

The huntress snorted, "_Perhaps you should tell him to put more intelligent warriors to watch them instead._"

"_Next time I will._" he agreed, "_I don't doubt that the man is not enjoying his life at the moment."_

She nodded slightly at that, a soft chuckle fading into silence as they entered, then passed through, the airlock.

With almost all of the miners and mechanics at the unobtanium mine, repairing the damage as best they could, there was not much going on outside. Though the entire First Company was present, few had any reason to be out and about. A few bored looking guards camped out above the makeshift prisoner of war camp, and a few more were kicking a football around. The combat air patrol of Scorpion gunships was barely visible in the distance, the sound of their rotors muted.

It was oddly quiet. Almost peaceful even.

"_So strange…_" Pey'ral murmured, her eyes slowly taking in the seemingly deserted base.

"_Yeah._" he agreed, slowly leading her towards the landing pad.

Making their way up the main ramp, he waved a hand to one of the few pilots working on his machine. "Morning, need a ride back to Hell's Gate."

The pilot took him in for a moment before nodding, "Sure thing Doc. Let me get some gunners and we can get ya over there."

He raised a hand, "Take your time, we're waiting on one more." Turning to Pey'ral, "_All right, let's get you settled in._"

Oddly, she did not complain at all. Slowly standing and carefully making her way into the machine, sitting and leaning her back against the back-wall as he and the pilot stowed her wheelchair by her feet.

Moving around the Samson, he pulled out the fold-down chair and settled in next to her, closing his eyes as they awaited the last member of their party.

"_Do you think she will find her way out?_" Pey'ral asked after a moment.

"_She knows how to make her way back outside."_ he reassured her, "_I'm more worried…_" his voice trailed off.

She frowned at him, "_Worried about what?_" her head tilted for a moment, then she hissed at him quietly, "_The dark haired woman. She gave you something that displeased you. You have heard from Norm._"

He ran a hand through his hair, "_Sort-of. He was awake. The others say he got up, ate breakfast, then went right back to his sleeping area without saying anything._"

Her expression went from anger to worry, "_That does not sound like him._"

Max winced a bit at that, "_Actually.. it kind of does. Not like you know him, but like he used to act whenever he was extremely depressed."_

The Na'vi woman hissed again, "_I see him._" she asserted, "_I will make his stupid sky person head work properly again._"

He snorted at that, a grin tugging at his lips, "_So that's where the rumor came from._"

Her large eyes blinked in confusion, her ears twitching.

"_There is a rumor going around amongst the sky people that you two." _he did not make it past that.

"_We are friends."_ she stated, almost hurriedly, spots slowly lighting up on her face.

"_Of course you are."_ he waited a moment as she relaxed, "_But you should know that there is a bet amongst the sky people warriors concerning you two._"

She looked at him warily, "_About?_"

"_On __whether or not you will mate with one another._"

Her jaw dropped, entire body going still, and he wished desperately he had some way to capture the expression on her face forever.

Motion became visible in the corner of his eye, and he tore his gaze away from her, seeing Tun making her way out of an airlock in the distance.

"Last member of the party is on her way." he called up to the pilot, temporarily ignoring the stunned woman next to him.

The pilot apparently heard him, judging by the way he started up the engines. A pair of soldiers, whom had apparently been chatting with him, made their way back and settled into the gunner's spots.

Pey'ral abruptly let out a very loud groan and buried her face in her four fingered hands.

He patted her on a broad shoulder as Tun made her way over.

The former _Tsahik_ blinked at the sight awaiting her, and then settled in to sit across from him, feet dangling off the side.

"_Is something wrong, sister?_"

Pey'ral muttered something that he could not hear.

Deciding to keep her mind off of Norm's current status, he spoke up helpfully as the Samson's engines began to roar. "_I thought your little speech about helping him was quite well said. I'm sure it will get more people involved in the bet."_

Tun frowned, raising her voice to be heard, "_What bet?_"

Pey'ral, still blushing brightly in the Na'vi's way of doing so, shook her head vehemently, "_He is a sky person, I am a Na'vi, it is not possible! We are friends that is all!"_

There was something deeply satisfying in seeing the always composed huntress acting like a teenage schoolgirl.

"_Perhaps you should not deny it so much, it's not helping you any._" he advised, feeling some of the tension drain from his shoulders as he laughed.

Tun interjected, demanding to know what was happening, and he explained it to her. Her barking laughter only caused Pey'ral to become more upset, and he smiled, relaxing, as the good natured teasing and laughter continued the entire trip.

* * *

**Date:** 12:59 September 29th, 2174

**Location**: Hell's Gate, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Pey'ral glared at the pair cackling _nantang_ that she had once considered friends. The _kunsip_ had just settled down onto the ground, and she was wasting no time in carefully hauling herself out and to her feet. Ignoring Max'patel's advice to take it easy, she grabbed her 'wheelchair' and jerked it into its open form. Sitting with a huff, she wheeled herself rapidly towards what looked like an entrance, tail whipping back and forth behind her.

Despite her distraction, she still was able to take in her surroundings. She had not been to Hell's Gate in a very, very long time, and she was slightly surprised at how... decrepit it looked. It would seem that the stone and metal of the _tawtute_ were not strong enough to withstand Eywa without their creators to aid them. Life had overgrown much of the unnatural place, though she could also see where the aliens had begun to reclaim their old home, where vines and trees had been ripped free, the metal and stone beneath cleaned and repaired.

_And somewhere inside this place is Norm._

She groaned, quietly. It was bad enough to find out that apparently most of the _tawtute_ warriors expected her and Norm to _mate_, and had placed _bets_ on it, but to find out that both Max'patel and Tun found it _hilarious_ was what really got to her.

Reaching the entrance, she paused and waited for the others to catch up, trying to calm down and make sense of her own thoughts as she did so.

Norm was just a friend. He _had_ to be just a friend.

_And right now he is a friend wounded in spirit and mind, and he must be helped._

She nodded slightly to herself and slowly began to calm down.

Tun arrived, resting a hand on her shoulder, "_I must return to my clan sister. I will return in the morning. Do not let the sky people drive you as mad as they._"

Pey'ral snorted, "_With you gone, sister, there will be one less thing driving me to madness._"

That earned her a deep belly laugh, then the older woman was moving away, towards the jungle where her _ikran_ awaited her.

Max'patel passed her, grunting as he heaved the doorway open. Pushing herself in after him, she closed her eyes and and forced herself to wait patiently as the air shifted.

"_I'll clear everyone else out of where he is and let you speak to him first and alone."_ Max'patel said as they waited, "_You can call if you need me._"

She nodded, murmuring her thanks.

Once the air had finished shifting to its lighter, sharper form, the _toktor_ heaved the door open.

Dim blue lights awaited her.

A quick burst of panic fluttered in her chest, and she closed her eyes for a moment, pushing the pain away. The memories did not hurt her heart any less, but it seemed.. easier.. to push them away.

Opening her eyes slowly, she noticed Max Patel frowning at her slightly.

"_Are you all right?_" the _tawtute_ asked gently.

"_I… spoke with Tun about it."_ she said, after a long moment, "_I do not know if I will ever be all right... but in time, it might hurt less._"

Her friend nodded at her, "_I am glad that she could help._"

"_As am I._"

They both smiled a little after that, and then he led her into the base.

It was... different. Even more alien, she supposed, was the only word in her tongue to describe it. Strange tubes covered the walls and parts of the floor, in places by themselves, in other places in bundles. Occasionally she would see a portion of a wall missing, exposing loudly humming machines and yet more of the strange tubes.

"_It is... eerie here._" she said, pausing to frown into one of the openings, trying to make sense of what she saw.

The _toktor_ nodded slightly, following her gaze, "_It can be. Even for us. It is very…_" he seemed to struggle to find the words, "_Na'vi doesn't even really have the words to describe it._"

Before he could launch into an explanation, she touched his arm lightly, "_Come, you can teach me the insanity of your machines later, our friend is in pain."_

He nodded soberly, though she saw him stifle a grin at her choice in words, before leading her deeper into the place. It did not take long to reach the room, and she paused to let Max'patel into it did not take long for him to return, a pair of other sky people in tow.

"_I won't be far off._" he spoke softly, "_He'll be directly to your right._" And with that, he left her.

Placing her hands on the cool metal of her 'wheels', she slowly propelled herself forwards. Thankfully, the normal lighting seemed to be working within this room, its pale white light easing some of the tension from her chest. Moving to her right, she frowned at the pale cloth covering that was apparently the entrance to Norm's sleeping space.

_Sky people have no sense of taste. What is this pale cloth, no decoration? No designs to show to which person it belongs?_

Shaking her head, she pulled it aside and wheeled herself in. Not stopping to let herself consider her actions, she moved to pry the strange rectangle open.

To her intense surprise, it failed to do so. It even let out an annoyed sounding '_beep_'.

She glared at it before carefully moving to her feet, careful to stoop over enough to avoid hitting her head on the too-low ceiling.

With her better position, she tried again, trying to be gentle to avoid breaking it. Or herself.

The top did not move. And it made the annoyed, irritating sounding noise again.

It was enough to annoy her. "_Stupid machine_._" _She gripped it again, and hauled upwards, ignoring the stretching pain across her stomach as she did so.

This time she was rewarded with startled sounding _tawtute_ cursing and the shrieking of bending metal as the lid flew open, revealing an extremely surprised looking Norm.

"_Pey'ral! What are you doing!?_"

Crossing her arms, she steadied her shaking legs by wrapping her tail around on of the metal stands that held his strange 'bed', and settled for glaring at him.

"_And you trashed the lock on my link bed! I had it locked for a reason!"_ he still seemed unusual angry, and was still shouting.

She responded with nothing.

The much smaller man glared right back up at her. They remained that way for no small period of time, she standing and glaring, he, laying and glaring.

Still without speaking, he eventually reached up, grasped the cover and began to bring it down again.

Without even trying, she reached out and held it open.

The glare intensified, and he groaned for a moment, thin arm flexing almost petulantly as he struggled to close it.

"_You are acting like a child._"

He froze for a moment, arm dropping to land limply by his side.

"_Hiding away her, allowing yourself to drown in your sorrow, alone, without the aid of those that might guide you._"

The small man closed his eyes, breathing suddenly and deeply.

"_You are not a child, Norm'spellman. You are a grown person, even though you are a sky person. You are far smarter than anyone else I have ever met, and wise despite your origin. I See You, and you are not this._"

Her friend was crying now, moving a shaking hand up to wipe away the liquid. Gently, she reached down and did it for him, marveling at how large her hand looked compared to his small face. Finishing her task, the liquid warm on her skin, she moved her hand to his forehead and laid it there gently.

"_What is wrong?_"

Norm sighed slowly, shaking his head, "_Everything._"

She groaned softly. "_Only a sky person would answer a question that way. Could you not pick something in specific that I might help with?_"

He opened his eyes and blinked at her, saw her small smile, and burst out laughing. She smiled, feeling no small warmth spreading through her at his shift. It was far better to see him laughing than it was to see him saddened and angered.

After a few more moments of laughter, he quieted down, sighing slightly as he relaxed. "_I think.. I lost a friend. And that.. just brought all the memories back._"

She tilted her head, ears twitching lightly as she invited him to continue on.

"_Of being out there._" he clarified, "_Of those long seasons before the other sky people returned. Watching my friends.. die. Wondering if this was going to the last time I went out hunting. The last time I tried to visit the Omaticaya. If this would the last time that I fell asleep. If it would be the last time I spoke to Max, or joked with Katrina._" he shook his head lightly, "_This planet.. I lost count of the number of times I've almost been killed here. By nantang packs. Wild ikran. Palulukan. So many times..and now, one of two people who stood by me hates me."_

"Katrina." she spoke the name quietly, "_She was with Tun earlier. She was.. strange. Different."_

"_She hates it here."_ he spoke equally softly, "_Hates it here so much. She was one of the first ones to volunteer to help us against the RDA, way back then. But seeing our friends die. Having to fight so hard, just to live..."_

"_She lets out her fear in hatred, and in anger."_ Pey'ral said, quietly, "_I know many warriors who have done the same. And you... you let your fear sadden you."_

"_And Max refuses to dwell on it."_ He murmured in acknowledgement. "_But.. it's more than her, Pey'ral. That's what made me.. depressed, to start with. And the memories. Then I started thinking.._"

Her legs were getting too weak, she settled into her wheelchair again as he spoke, taking care to leave her hand in place atop his head, even as he rolled on to his side to continue facing her.

"_I started thinking about everyone else here. I think.. I think she was right, about something else she told me. That the other warriors hate it here as much as she does._"

Her gut went a little cold at that. She had known many warriors, of course, who let their fear drive them to intense rage against the _tawtute_. The first Tsu'tey, for example, had let his fear of watching yet more of his kin destroy the kind, young man she only dimly remembered. If some of the _tawtute_ warriors were beginning to act the same way…that would be disastrous.

"_They might wish to strike at us, even though we do no harm to them._"

"_Probably not at the Omaticaya, but the southern clans, those who we, and they, aren't sure about... they might strike at them_" he confirmed, looking less saddened, more worried, which was at least a little step forwards.

"_What do we do about it?_"

He shook his head, "_I.. don't know." _he admitted, "_I was going to talk to Max about it. And probably Jake and Mo'at too. See if they had any ideas._"

She waved a hand, "_Jake'sully and the Tsahik have enough to do without us bothering them, we will deal with this ourselves."_

"_Um, Pey'ral, I'm not sure we-"_

Lifting her hand from his head, she smacked him, very gently, with it. "_We will deal with this ourselves. I have done nothing to aid my kind long enough._"

"_Oh.. I.. All right then._" he managed after a moment.

She frowned at him, and then shrugged. The response had been odd, but then again, she had just dragged him back to his normal self. It was probably only to be expected.

"_So, you are a sky person, how do we go about fixing this issue?_"

"_Ummm..'_ he dragged it out, "_I have no idea. I guess the key would be to get them thinking about other things."_

That earned a nod. Distractions were good for a warrior, when no fighting was occurring. It helped remind them of _why_ they were fighting, and push the pain of lost comrades away, if but for a time.

Her friend continued, "_But I don't know what we can do. The Commander has the weekly games, and Selfridge has a night reserved for _movies _and food._"

She was not sure what 'movies' were, but she supposed it was good to know that it was already being done. Though, she had to admit, she was completely stumped on this issue. She was not a _tawtute_, and had no idea what their warriors would find fun or distracting. Games she did understand, it was often what her own warriors and hunter did. Sparring was rarer, but was another way to ease out tension. Beyond that…

"_Your warriors have too much time to think._" she spoke aloud, "_Amidst the people, hunters and warriors spend enough time hunting and cooking to keep them distracted._ _It is not so amongst your people. Sparring is the only thing that I can think of that might aid your warriors as it occasionally does ours."_

He seemed to think that over, "_There are a few ways of sparring that might do it. I can talk to Selfridge about setting up some_ _matches maybe._"

"_That is good. What else can be done?_"

Norm blinked at her, again, the started laughing quietly, "_You know.._" he managed, in between laughs, "_It just hit me. Here we are.. a Na'vi and a toktor... trying to act as the cheer-up crew.. for a bunch of battle-hardened warriors!"_

She snorted, trying to contain herself, which lasted all of a moment, before the absurdity of what they were doing hit her and she too, burst out laughing.

That made Norm laugh all the harder, which made _her_ laugh harder, which eventually seemed to attract Max'patel's attention.

"_Glad to see you two are in a mood."_ he noted on his arrival, smiling as they slowly wound down. "_I don't need to know what's wrong, Norm. Or for you, Pey'ral. I'm just glad you're both better."_

Norm murmured what she thought were thanks in _inglisi_. She tried to copy him, "Thank..yao?"

"Thank you." he corrected, smiling at her. "_Interested in inglisi?_"

"_If I am to spend time here, amidst your insanity, is it not best that I learn it?_"

Max muttered something in _inglisi_ that she did not get, but apparently Norm did, as he rapidly turned the bright red color that _tawtute_ became when embarrassed.

"_What did you say?_" she demanded, despite having a bad feeling about it.

He grinned at her, "_I said he can give you private lessons. And in more than just inglisi._"

It took her a moment to get what he was _actually _saying, and felt her spots flare brightly with her own embarrassment. "_How many times must I say it? It. Is. Not. Possible."_

Norm, at this point, had turned an interesting shade of bright red, and looked like he was choking.

Max'patel snorted at the expressions upon their faces, before thankfully he changed the topic, "_So, what were you two laughing about?_"

Managing to find her voice, she explained their conversation.

"_Not a bad idea actually." _he seemed to mull it over, "_A few _boxing _matches or the like might help everyone work out some anger. It's a sky person form of sparring," _the _toktor_ explained, noting her look of slight confusion, "_I can pass that on, definitely._"

Norm, still a bit red, voice still just bit higher than normal, spoke up, "_We might want to think of more than that, though, I mean, having more options is always good._"

Max'patel's forehead scrunched oddly, the hair above one of his eyes raising.

"_I did NOT mean it like that!"_ Norm shrieked, turning red again.

"_You said it, not me._"

She groaned, "_I do not know what you two just said to one another, but could you please speak plainly? I do not share your ability to say something and have it mean something else._"

"_You're happier not knowing._" the older human advised her_._

The huntress sighed, fearing for her sanity in the near future. "_Is there any way that you could remove this.. bet.. about us?_"

Max'patel blinked at her.

"_You are the head toktor, correct? It will be hard for anyone to take me or Norm seriously if that is all they think of._" And the absolute _last_ thing she wanted was for _tawtute_ warriors to be picturing her _mating_ with Norm every time she was amongst them.

He ran a hand through his hair, seeming to think it over, before slowly shaking his head.

"_Why not?_" she demanded, the abnormal feeling of frustrated despair filling her.

"_Because.. it will be good for everyone. It will be something they can laugh about, and that will be a good distraction. Something they can gossip and chat and bet about." _he shook his head, "_And I'm sure that even if I tried, Selfridge or Thomes would say the same thing and let it go on."_

She rested her head in one hand, sighing.

"_Sorry. The best advice I can give is you is to just go along with it. It'll make everyone around you laugh and make it a bit more bearable."_

She opened an eye and glared at him.

He grinned in response, "_And that should not be a problem, seeing as how you are both just friends."_

She considered her limited supply of _inglisi_ words for a moment, "You are.. irritating."

"_Yes, I am. I am also right. Now, I am going to go try and sleep. Which means you two will be alone. For a while. In Norm's Room. Try to keep it quiet."_

He left quickly, as both she and Norm started shouting at him, both blushing furiously in their own ways.

* * *

**Date:** 19:22 September 29th, 2174

**Location**: _Omaticaya Kelutral_, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

The wind whistled by, and Jake sighed in contentment, feeling his _ikran_'s wings beating through their bond.

_It is good to fly.. no worries, no concerns, no sorrow.. just the wind and the jungle below._

He and Neytiri, who was upon her own _ikran_ above and behind him, needed that calm, needed it badly. It had been a long pair of days. Burying their son, holding their daughters as they cried, and trying to organize the clan.

They had just finished speaking with the elders of the Green River clan, and he was glad that they had accepted the duty of taking in the survivors of the plain's clans. They had not been happy, to say the least, that it would be the humans bringing them, but they had agreed to go along with it. With that issue out of the way, he and his mate were on their way to Tun'txampay's Eastern Sea clan, to help them prepare to join the _Omaticaya_.

It was going to be a very long night, on top of the very long days that they had already suffered through. But for now, all they had to do was fly.

Neytiri slowly drew up beside him, flying wing-tip to wing-tip as they glided through the air. He gave her a small smile, which she returned. Neytiri had taken his words, and the loss of her son, hard.

_But I think I got through to her..._ He had initially felt guilty over how harsh his words had been, as she had clung to him, sobbing through the night. But the more he thought about it... it had been what he had to say. It was harsh, and painful to do, but like his going to war against his own son, it had been something that _had_ to be done. His people had begun to become what they beheld, and it was something that he _would_ stop. And if Eywa and the other clans did not like it, too damn bad.

Slight annoyance radiated through the bond to his mount, and he smiled, reaching down to pat his neck.

"_You're right brother, now is not the time for thoughts._" he murmured, pushing all things from his mind, and enjoying the simple act of flying once more.

Like all good things, it eventually had to end. The sea came into sight in the long distance, the great blue expanse stretching the horizon.

They slowly rode the air currents down, and he could make out people hauling belongings up the cliff-face to the camp above.

He grimaced a bit at that, uncomfortably reminded that it had been him who had convinced Tun and her people to ride to war.

_And my fault that they have to leave their ancestral homes.._

Those thoughts resonating painfully within his heart, he guided his _ikran_ to a smooth landing, sliding off, his feet striking against the hard rocks.

Tun was already there, standing in amidst her people, giving orders and directions.

Pausing long enough for Neytiri to land and dismount beside him, he then proceeded to make his way over to the other clan leader.

"_I see you, Olo'eyktan._" Tun greeted.

He and Neytiri echoed the sentiment, and then he continued on, "_How is it going?_"

"_As well as can be expected._" she glanced around them, "_I think that this outcome was not unanticipated by my people. They will be ready to begin the journey soon enough, they require little direction from me._"

"_So you intend to return to the sky people's home?"_ Neytiri asked quietly.

"_Come morning, yes, it is my duty._" she nodded to Jake, "_As given by my Olo'eyktan."_

He winced. Having Tun as a member of his clan, beneath him, was something he was not comfortable with. She had been a clan leader of no small renown long before he had even come to Pandora, but far more importantly to him, she had become a friend.

"_You might no longer be an Olo'eyktan,_" he spoke gently, "_But that does not mean you must follow my every command, Tun. You've led your clan far longer than I have led mine, and for that you will always have my respect and honor."_

Moving forwards, he clasped both her shoulders with his hands, "_With Pey'ral injured, and with a new duty before her, I am making you the senior huntress within the clan."_

She bowed her head lightly, "_My thanks, Olo'eyktan._"

"_You might regret thanking my mate once you hear what he wishes you to do._" Neytiri spoke up.

Tun glanced at him warily.

He sighed and explained, "_Come morning, you'll be going back to the sky people's home, and we will be going with. We must prepare the children and elders for their journey, and press the sky people as to when they will allow the warriors to leave."_

She opened her mouth, frowning, then closed it, thought it over, then nodded, "_I do not believe they will allow us to take them back, not soon, in any case."_

"_I know_," he spread his hands apart, "_And maybe sitting in that pen will wake some of them up, but they are still members of the people."_

"_And __we must concentrate on our own people,"_ Neytiri rested a hand on his arm, a visible show that she stood beside him in this, "_And __let the sky people worry over their own affairs._"

Tun nodded, seemingly breathing easier, before she brought something else up, "_What of the southern clans, have you heard any news?_"

They both shook their heads, "_Nothing. Mo'at is going to the Tree of Souls when we return, hopefully she'll return and say that Eywa is figuring it out._"

"_The Goddess..._" Neytiri bowed her head, "_I don't know what she will do._"

"_Someone I doubt that anyone does._" Tun murmured.

Jake raised a hand, "_It does not matter what she does. What we do is what matters. We can worry about the other clans when the time comes, but as my mate said, for now, we must concern ourselves with our own people._"

"_Then let us get food in you two."_ Tun called for the cooks to heat up the cooking fires, "_There is still much that we can do here to help, and we will need our strength when the morning comes._"

His stomach churned a bit at her mention of food. "_I… ah, think I'll pass on food._"

A hand slapped him upside the head, "_Get up._" Neytiri ordered him, "_What kind of Olo'eyktan are you, not eating the food offered by your people._"

Giving her a half-hearted glare, he rose to his feet and shuffled after her, not looking forwards, at all, to dinner.

It was as fun as the last time he had eaten with the Eastern Sea clan, yet made worse by his mate's presence. He was positive that she was taking some kind of perverse glee in making sure that he ate every single thing that was brought to him.

And so he was in a less than amiable mood when the pair of them settled into a small tent for the night. Still, the pair curled up within a small hammock together, and he was extremely comforted by her warm body against his.

"_I missed you, those nights._" Neytiri murmured, head pressed against his neck.

"_And I you."_ he replied.

"_I miss him already._"

Jake closed his eyes, "_As do I._"

They sighed softly in unison, before Neytiri slowly shook herself, pressing closer. "_Do you think that Tun can bring our young warriors around, when the sky people release them?"_

"_She will._" he promised, "_She's proud and hurting, but she'll make a good senior hunter, in time. She won't let those young kids disrespect her or the clan._"

"_Senior Huntress..."_ Neytiri murmured, "_What of Pey'ral? What is this task you have for her?_"

He shrugged, pulling her closer, "_We need someone to stay with the sky people, to help relay what is going on and keep them from doing anything too insane. Tun won't want to stick around more than she has to, and Pey'ral has already been there a while._"

Dimly, he noted that Neytiri had reached back, moving her _tswin_ around her body and towards his back.

"_She won't like it, but I think that she will…"_ he felt her tug gently on his own _tswin, _bringing them together, and the rest of what he was going to say vanished underneath of the weight of his mate's spirit joining with his own.

When he awoke, their bodies were still entwined. Gently removing his body from hers, he rose and fixed his attire before leaving the tent.

The dawn was just rising, the dim glow of the sun bathing the ocean in glistening lights.

Tun, along with several members of her clan, were standing at the cliff edge, watching.

_Saying goodbye._

The rustling of cloth alerted him to Neytiri's emergence, her body pressing against his back, hand entwining with his own.

"_Good morning my Jake._"

He smiled, "_It's been a while since you have called me that._"

Her hand tightened, "_I... forgot how to see you, for a time."_ It must have taken no small amount of pain for her to say that, his mate was nothing if proud, "_I only wish that I had remembered before Tsu'tey fell."_

Turning, he pulled her close, "_Not even both of us would have stopped him. He was our son, and he did what he thought was right. All we can do is mourn his loss and honor his memory."_

She sighed and pulled away, nodding, "_I know. Come, let us see to our ikran, and allow Tun some time to bid her people goodbye for now_."

"_But just for now. She will be leading them again soon enough, as an Olo'eyktan or not._"

The two pulled away, moving to their _ikran_, gently rousing them and offering them the leftovers from last night. Their winged mounts gladly ate the fish and crooned when they patted their necks and prepared them for the long flight to the human lands.

They were preparing to mount up when Tun arrived, head bowed.

"_Are you all right?_" he called as he pulled himself up.

"_I will be."_

He nodded in understanding, and made the bond with his _ikran_, then pressed into the sky, letting her have her space and whatever time she needed to prepare herself.

_I'm sorry Tun._

They gave her as long as she needed, waiting patiently upon their _ikran_. When she turned back from the sea, and climbed upon her own mount, no words were spoken. Even the _ikran_ were silent, their hearts as heavy as their bondmates, their wings gently propelling them into the sky.

* * *

_**End - Semper Furor (Always Madness)**_

_Well, that was quite a little trip wasn't it? A few years of effort, lots of changes, and now, a final conclusion to this story, focusing upon the primary arc of the first two acts. I do wish to humbly apologize to everyone who's been along for the full ride, and read so much of my work only to see it cut out at the end. I can only hope that Semper Vitae, the next and final part of this trilogy, makes it up to you._

_Thank you, everyone who has read this story, and special thanks to everyone who was kind enough to leave a review._

_Semper Victoria,_

_Katkiller Five_


	23. Author's Notice

**Semper Furor - Final Author's Note**

For those who missed the author's note that preceded the cut to Semper Furor, here is a short update: The final story of the Semper-verse trilogy is now up, Semper Vitae. It is its own, unique, story continuing on from where Semper Furor currently ends. Basically, those chapters that were removed can be considered to have never existed for story purposes.

Some plot elements, and possibly heavily modified PoV sections from some of those chapters, may resurface in Semper Vitae, but this will be rare.

Thank you all again,

Kat


End file.
